Let due process of the law prevail, writes AHMED TUDUNWADA

Now about one month in detention without bail, it’s quite clear that what’s going on is a witch-hunt.

There’s no attempt to hide it anymore as they have run short of excuses. At the face value, Mallam Nasir el Rufai was the immediate past governor of Kaduna State. He has been a notable public official in Nigeria for the past three decades.

On account of this alone, he can be bailed on self recognition. But as the story went, the former governor had been invited by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and he had agreed to report at their office on a scheduled date. But curiously, after he had been arraigned by the DSS/EFCC and granted bail, as he stepped out of the court, he was nabbed by the ICPC officials. All entreaties that he had an appointment with them in a couple of days fell on deaf ears. 

They bundled him away and when they arraigned him a few days later, the judge slammed him with a long detention period, spanning up until April 23rd.

This is how come Mallam El Rufai has been kept in the slammer for onward of 30 days so far without bail. The initial statutory 14 days had elapsed with seemingly no report of any evidence against him.

His continued detention is therefore an assault on his fundamental human rights.

This writer by no means suggests that public officials should not be held accountable for their stewardship in office. Far from it. 

On the contrary, everyone who ever held a public office must be held to account. But while doing so, the rule of law must be upheld. There should be no cherry picking; or witch-hunt. Everyone who served must be subjected to the same process of investigation and trial.

For instance, it’s public knowledge that most former governors in Nigeria have one petition or the other against them at the various anti-graft offices. It’s common knowledge that many of the members of the ruling APC who have serious cases of financial malfeasance have their “sins covered or forgiven” as they have boasted. One of them is former Kano State governor Abdullahi Ganduje.

And as many are asking, if Mallam El Rufai was still in the ruling party, would he be undergoing investigations or trial now? The answer is no. All the high profile cases by anti-graft agencies, EFCC and ICPC are all members of the opposition PDP and ADC. This writer stands to be corrected but there’s no record of any former governor or minister currently being dragged to give account by these agencies. Even those caught with hands deep in the cooking jar were merely suspended and their matter was later swept under the carpet.

To therefore hunt down El Rufai and even former Attorney-General of the federation, Mallam Abubakar Malami, among others, smacks of political persecution.

In the case of Malami, the state government had to put out a public statement that it never presented any official petition to the EFCC.

Malami’s troubles were said to have started when he indicated interest to vie for the governorship of Kebbi State.

Being an acolyte of the former president Muhammadu Buhari, many of them have gravitated into the emergent ADC coalition for the reason that they couldn’t find accommodation in the APC. 

Many of the Buhari men in the north are quite influential, having deep pockets and riding the political trajectory of late President Buhari. 

There no doubt that elements like El Rufai, Malami, Aminu Tambuwal, immediate past governor of Sokoto State and Sule Lamido, to name a few, would prove to be a formidable force in the 2027 election.

It’s common knowledge that the APC government under President Tinubu has not lived up to it’s promises. If a free and fair election is held today, it would be very difficult for the ruling party to return to power. 

More Nigerians have been hauled into poverty during the APC era more than at any other time. Suffering pervades the land as prices continue to soar.

Power supply has worsened, fuel price keeps rising and there’s hardly any breathing space for the populace. Instead , taxes and more taxes are being imposed on everything. Corruption is so rife now that government doesn’t talk about fighting it anymore. It’s indeed a free for all looting spree now. At least this is the prevalent perception right now.

But worse is that government seems either clueless about how to resolve any of these problems or it has no intention of doing anything.

Going into election as the situation is currently would be a helluva task. This may explain why the incumbent is desperately muzzling opposition and brazenly closing down the democratic spaces.

Nearly all the governors in the land have been corralled into joining the ruling party. Notable opposition people are being hunted down and put through kangaroo trials.

Many of these key opposition members would be bugged down and harried by these so-called extended trials that they would never be able to participate in the 2027 elections.

But more worrisome is that these government agencies like the DSS, EFCC and ICPC which are supposed to be independent and unshackled are now being openly manipulated. This surely portends a long term debilitating effect on these agencies as they cannot act independently.

It is hoped that the current government is not cutting its nose to spite its face. 

Let the due process of the law prevail, there’s no need for unlawful detention.

Tudunwada, a journalist, writes from Sokoto