A former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has stated that the incident at the Abuja airport where he was to be arrested by the Deparment of State Services (DSS) has now further prepared for the 2027 general elections.
The former governor also confirmed that he received an invitation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for questioning, saying he would honour the invitation on Monday at 10am.
El-Rufai made the disclosure on Thursday night when former Vice President Atiku Abubakar paid him a solidarity visit over his attempted arrest at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, by the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) on Thursday.
Speaking during Atiku’s visit, El-Rufai described his attempted arrest as “most unfortunate, totally unnecessary, and probably criminal.”
According to him, the situation escalated after he requested a formal letter of invitation from officials who approached him at the airport.
“What happened at the airport was most unfortunate, totally unnecessary, and probably criminal as well, because agencies have rules of engagement, and all I asked for was, give me a letter of invitation, and I will visit your office,” the former governor said.
He alleged that instead of following due process, operatives of the DSS were deployed at the instance of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) to detain him.
“But it turned out that it was the ICPC that procured the DSS to abduct me and hand me over to them,” he claimed.
El-Rufai further stated that, contrary to reports, “The ICPC has never contacted me or sought to invite me up to the point we were at the airport.”
According to him, “The EFCC had written inviting me, and I was out of the country. My lawyer wrote to them to say that I will be returning, and I will be there on Monday at 10 a.m.”
El-Rufai insisted that the ICPC never heard anything from the EFCC, “But we understand that it was the ICPC, not the EFCC, that was responsible for what happened, and the ICPC chairman was acting on the direct orders of Nuhu Ribadu, the national security advisor.”
El-Rufai accused security agencies of partisanship, claiming they had been reduced to instruments of political interests.
“We have reduced security agencies to be arms of a political party and a government that knows it is unelectable and wants to remain in power at all costs,” he said.
The former governor added that the incident had strengthened his resolve ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“I assure you that what has 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,” he declared.
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