El-Rufai Is A Political Prisoner, Atiku's Aide Tells Tinubu

Phrank Shaibu, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to Atiku Abubakar, went on Arise Television's News Insight and called Nasir El-Rufai a political prisoner of conscience. His words, not mine. He then challenged President Bola Tinubu directly, saying if El-Rufai poses no threat to his 2027 ambition, then release him and let him test his strength in the open.

Let us be clear about the timeline here. El-Rufai was arrested by the ICPC on February 18, 2026 over fraud allegations from his tenure as Kaduna governor between 2015 and 2023. Then came re-arrests, remands, DSS involvement, cybercrime charges, phone-tapping allegations involving NSA Nuhu Ribadu. On May 18, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik at the Federal High Court in Abuja granted him N100 million bail. That was over four months ago. Shaibu says the conditions attached are impossible, that a man is presumed innocent until tried, not guilty before trial.

Here is where I need Nigerians to think carefully. We can dislike El-Rufai's politics and still ask why a bailable offence keeps a man in detention for months. The same system that held him is the same system that will hold any of us if we fall out of favour. Shaibu asked a question that should keep every politician awake: if you are so confident, why keep a political rival off the field? Be honest, is this justice or is this 2027 panic wearing a court robe?