El-Rufai has urges opposition unity to unseat Tinubu in 2027 amid failed airport abduction controversy.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has called on opposition leaders to remain united ahead of the 2027 general elections, declaring that their focus should be on removing President Bola Tinubu from office.
El-Rufai made the remarks during a visit by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, following an alleged attempt by security operatives to detain him at an airport.
According to the former governor, the incident has strengthened his resolve to challenge the current administration.
“What happened today has made me more determined. We must keep working and not rest until March 2027 when we remove this government from office,” he said.
El-Rufai described the airport episode as unfortunate, unnecessary and potentially unlawful. He alleged that the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) deployed operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) to detain him without issuing a formal invitation.
He noted that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had earlier invited him for questioning while he was out of the country. According to him, his lawyer informed the EFCC that he would return and appear before the commission at 10 a.m. on Monday.
El-Rufai insisted that he never received any communication from the ICPC prior to the airport incident.
“All I asked for was a letter of invitation, and I would have honoured it,” he stated.
The former governor further alleged that the ICPC acted on instructions from the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, accusing the government of deploying security agencies for political purposes.
He warned that turning security institutions into partisan tools could undermine democratic institutions and weaken the rule of law.
El-Rufai maintained that he is prepared to honour any lawful invitation from anti-corruption agencies, provided due process is followed.
