Lagos, Nigeria – Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, called on Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, and the Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani, to immediately release former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai on Friday, May 15, 2026.
Okay News reports that Atiku Abubakar made the demand through a written statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.
The release stated that the former governor is entitled to constitutional protections. “Mallam El-Rufai, regardless of political differences or shifting alliances, remains a Nigerian citizen entitled to the full protection of the Constitution, including his rights to dignity, liberty, and due process,” Phrank Shaibu said.
“The Federal Government and the Kaduna State authorities must understand that selective justice is injustice. The credibility of any democracy is measured not by how it treats loyalists, but by how it treats perceived opponents,” Phrank Shaibu said.
The communication challenged the Federal Government of Nigeria and state authorities to provide a legal basis for the detention. “If Mallam El-Rufai is being held on the basis of any legitimate legal process, the authorities owe Nigerians full transparency. If not, then his continued detention can only reinforce growing fears that our democracy is sliding dangerously toward intolerance and authoritarian excess,” Phrank Shaibu said.
