Phrank Shaibu, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has characterized former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai as a “political prisoner of conscience,” calling on President Bola Tinubu to facilitate his release.
During an interview on Arise Television’s *News Insight*, Shaibu challenged the federal government to release the former governor if he is not considered an electoral threat ahead of the 2027 presidential contest.
El-Rufai has been in and out of detention since his initial arrest by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on February 18, 2026, over alleged fraud during his 2015–2023 tenure. He has faced subsequent charges by both the ICPC and the Department of State Services (DSS) relating to corruption, contract fraud, cybercrime, and allegations of phone-tapping involving the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
Although the Federal High Court in Abuja granted El-Rufai bail in the sum of N100 million on May 18, Shaibu argued that the bail conditions remain “stringent” and “impossible to meet.”
“El-Rufai is a political prisoner of conscience. The courts granted him bail, but weeks have rolled into months, and they have imposed impossible conditions for his release,” Shaibu stated. “For whatever perceived offence they claim he has committed, he deserves his freedom. A man is presumed innocent until he has been tried.”
Shaibu further questioned the government’s motives, suggesting that the continued detention of a high-profile political figure serves to stifle competition.
“If you guys truly believe El-Rufai poses no threat to Tinubu’s electoral quest, then release him,” Shaibu added. “Let him test his strength in the open, and let Nigerians decide at the ballot who has the capacity to earn their mandate. If you are so confident, why keep a political rival off the field?”
The federal government has yet to issue a formal response to these latest allegations from the Atiku campaign.
