Peter Obi Condemns Tinubu Govt’s Continued Detention Of El-Rufai, Malami

Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has described the continued detention of former Kaduna State Governor Malam Nasir El-Rufai and ex-Attorney General of the Federation Abubakar Malami as worrisome.

Obi accused the Tinubu administration of deploying criminal prosecution as a political weapon against opposition figures in a statement posted on X on Monday.

The African Democratic Congress chieftain called on the government to immediately end what he described as the persecution of political opponents disguised as legitimate legal action.

“The current administration must put an end to the blatant persecution of political opponents disguised as criminal prosecution. The integrity of the rule of law in Nigeria is non-negotiable; its degradation undermines our economic development and threatens national stability,” he stated.

The former Anambra governor drew particular attention to the circumstances surrounding the arrests of both El-Rufai and Malami, noting that the timing of their detention — coming as both men committed to ensuring the current administration is voted out in 2027 — raised serious and troubling questions about the motivations behind their prosecution.

He also challenged the conditions under which the two leaders had been held, arguing that the denial of bail or the imposition of unjustly stringent bail conditions amounted to further evidence of political persecution.

“The undue denial of bail or unjustly stringent conditions imposed on bail leave little doubt that the government is wielding criminal prosecution as a weapon against its political opponents,” he said.

Obi reserved his sharpest criticism for the handling of El-Rufai’s case specifically, describing the former governor’s repeated transfers between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, and the Department of State Services as a desperate and legally dubious exercise.

“The situation surrounding Malam El-Rufai is particularly concerning; his repeated transfers between the EFCC, ICPC, and DSS suggest a desperate search for any charge that might stick, straying dangerously close to a fishing expedition rather than a credible investigation,” he said.

While reaffirming his personal commitment to the fight against corruption, Obi insisted that any credible anti-corruption campaign must be conducted with integrity, transparency, and consistency — beginning with those currently in power rather than targeting political opponents.

“I wholeheartedly support the fight against corruption and wrongdoing, but it must be conducted with integrity and transparency, starting with those currently in power rather than targeting opponents. A credible anti-corruption and anti-wrongdoing campaign cannot afford to be selective,” he stated.

Obi called on the government to uphold the rule of law and guarantee that no Nigerian would be persecuted for their political beliefs or actions as the country approaches what he described as a critical election period.