Nigeria’s popular opposition figure Peter Obi has condemned the continued detention of former Kaduna State Governor Malam Nasir El-Rufai and ex-Attorney General of the Federation Abubakar Malami, accusing the Tinubu government of weaponizing criminal prosecution against political opponens.
Obi in a statement posted on X on Monday called on the Nigerian government to immediately end what he described as the persecution of opposition figures.
“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 wrote.
The former 2023 Presidential candidate of the Labour Party stated that the timing of the arrests of both El-Rufai and Malami at a time both men were 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, noting 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.
The former Anambra governor particularly blasted the handling of El-Rufai’s case, 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,” Obi stated.
He reaffirmed his personal commitment to the fight against corruption, but said 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 urged the Tinubu 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 a critical election period.
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