Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has accused National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu of orchestrating the attempt to arrest him at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Thursday, shortly after his return from Cairo, Egypt.
El-Rufai made the allegation while speaking with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who paid him a solidarity visit at his residence on Thursday night.
According to him, operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, working with the Department of State Services, DSS, and not the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, confronted him at the airport and attempted to take him into custody.
“It turned out that it’s the ICPC that procured DSS to abduct me and hades me over to them. The ICPC has never invited me.
“We just understand that it’s the ICPC not EFCC that’s responsible for what happened today and the ICPC chairman is acting of the direct order of Nuhu Ribadu,” El-Rufai said.
Responding, Atiku expressed sympathy with the former governor and stressed the need for political unity ahead of the next general election.
The ex-Vice President noted that opposition forces must organize themselves to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
“We must come together and form very viable opposition because Tinubu is determined to turn Nigeria into a one party state,” Atiku said.
