El-Rufai Finally Tells Atiku Why Tinubu Must Be Stopped: "We Must Not Sleep"
- Former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai urged the opposition to unite against President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections
- El-Rufai explained that the airport incident intensified his resolve to challenge the ruling APC administration in the next poll
- The former governor's legal team had criticised the alleged unlawful arrest attempt, asserting a lack of proper procedure by security operatives
Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna state, has told former Vice President Atiku Abubakar that the opposition must remain resolute in their moves to sack President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election.
The ex-government made the claim while playing host to the former president at his residence on Thursday, following the allegation of an attempt to arrest him by the security agency to arrest him at an airport.
Source: Twitter
El-Rufai speaks on alleged arrest plot
El-Rufai also claimed that the attempted arrest at the airport has strengthened his determination to sack President Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). His statement reads in part:
“Your Excellency, I assure you that what happened today has further reinforced my belief that we must work hard. We must not sleep between now and March 2027 until we remove this tyrant from office.”
He described the incident at the airport as “unfortunate, totally unnecessary, and probably criminal,” while claiming that the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) was using the men of the Department of State Service (DSS) to arrest and detain him and subsequently hand him over to the commission without any proper invitation.
The former governor added that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had earlier sent him an invitation for questioning and that his lawyer had informed the anti-graft agency that he was not in the country and he would be visiting the commission on Monday, February 16. He added that there was no communication between him and the ICPC before the airport incident.
El-Rufai's lawyer comdemns arrest of ex-governor
After the incident on Thursday, the lawyer to the ex-governor condemned the alleged attempt to arrest the former Kaduna governor by security operatives on his arrival in the country on Thursday, February 12.
Ubong Esop Akpan of The Chambers of Ubong Akpan signed the comment in a statement on Thursday. The legal team alleged that the former governor was accosted by men of the Department of State Services (DSS) soon after he disembarked from Egypt Air flight MS 877 from Cairo.
The lawyer explained that the secret police approached the former governor without any arrest warrant or formal invitation being prevented. The legal team argued that the approach of the EFCC was not reasonable, claiming it had no "legal fairness" and did not take logistical realities into consideration.
The team said it has informed the anti-graft agency on behalf of the former governor since December 2025 that El-Rufai will honour the invitation as soon as he returns to the country. According to the law firm, the EFCC has been informed that the chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) would appear at its office on Monday, February 16.
Source: Twitter
El-Rufai speaks on Buhari's biography
Legit.ng earlier reported that former Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has criticised the book ’From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari’, a biography of the late President Buhari.
El-Rufai, in a statement, criticised the loyalty of those who attended the book launch as well as the venue, which was the presidential villa.
The former governor then called on Nigerians to allow the former president, considering the fact that he was no longer alive, to respond to claims and allegations.
Source: Legit.ng
