By Muhammad Mamman
Former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai says he could be arrested “at any time”, accusing Nigeria’s ruling party of using state institutions to intimidate political opponents.
Speaking to BBC Hausa on Wednesday, El-Rufai alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government is targeting members of the opposition, adding that several of his close associates have already been detained.
“Four people we worked with in Kaduna have been arrested, so it’s only a matter of time before they come for me too,” he said.
El-Rufai, who governed Kaduna State for eight years under the APC, has recently intensified his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. He is now a senior figure in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and claims that mounting political pressure is forcing politicians either to defect to the ruling party or remain within its ranks.
He warned that what he described as selective arrests and intimidation threaten Nigeria’s democratic space.
His remarks come amid the arrest and ongoing prosecution of former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami, who remains in custody. Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has accused Malami of offences including abuse of office and money laundering. Authorities later rearrested him, alleging links to terrorism financing.
Malami, widely regarded as a prominent opposition figure following his defection from the APC to the ADC, has denied all allegations, describing the case against him as a politically motivated witch-hunt.
The federal government has not publicly responded to El-Rufai’s claims.
Opposition parties and civil society groups have repeatedly raised concerns about what they say is the growing use of security agencies to silence critics, while the Tinubu administration maintains that all investigations are being conducted in line with the law.
