A senior aide to Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has issued a stern warning to President Bola Tinubu’s administration over the detention of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai. Demola Olarenwaju, who serves as the Senior Political Assistant to Atiku, stated that preventing El-Rufai from receiving medical treatment while in custody is a gamble the government cannot afford.
Olarenwaju emphasized that if any harm befalls El-Rufai during his detention, the Tinubu administration will be held fully accountable. He described the situation as an extremely dangerous form of politics, asserting that El-Rufai’s detention is illegal.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is alleged to have refused El-Rufai access to medical care while he remains in their custody. According to Muyiwa Adekeye, an aide to the former governor, El-Rufai is suffering from swollen, red, and itchy eyes that require urgent medical attention, but this has been denied.
El-Rufai was arrested at the Abuja International Airport earlier this year and has been charged with abuse of office and money laundering, allegedly committed during his tenure as governor. Olarenwaju’s comments came via a post on X, where he reiterated that denying medical care is a risk that could have serious consequences for the regime.