Obi’s wrongful prosecution, Malami’s detention, el-rufai, the timing is suspicious

Former Labor Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections. Peter Obi has condemned the detention of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and former Attorney General Abubakar Malami.

He described their ordeal as “alarming” and an example of the government using criminal prosecution as a weapon against opposition figures.

In a statement posted on X on Monday, Obi called on the government to immediately end the persecution of political opponents disguised as legitimate legal action.

He specifically criticized the handling of the El-Rufai case, calling the repeated diversions between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC), and the Department of State Services (DSS) “desperate and legally dubious measures”.

Obi stressed that the timing of the detentions, which came as both men were committed to ensuring the current government was elected in 2027, raised serious questions about the motivations behind their prosecution. He also highlighted concerns over the conditions of their detention, including denial of bail or strict bail conditions

“The current administration must end the blatant persecution of political opponents disguised as criminal prosecution. The integrity of the rule of law in Nigeria is non-negotiable; its degradation hampers our economic development and threatens national stability,” he said.

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“The undue denial of bail or the unfairly stringent conditions imposed on bail leave no doubt that the government is using criminal prosecution as a weapon against its political opponents.”

“The situation around Malam El-Rufai is extremely concerning; his repeated switching between the EFCC, ICPC and DSS suggests a desperate search for any charges that may be attached, very close to a fishing expedition rather than a credible investigation,” he said.

“I wholeheartedly support eradicating corruption and wrongdoing, but this must be done with integrity and transparency, starting with those currently in power, not just targeting opponents. A credible anti-corruption and anti-wrongdoing campaign must not be selective,” he said.

Obi ended his speech by calling on the government to uphold the rule of law and guarantee that no Nigerian will be persecuted for their political beliefs or actions as the country approaches the critical election period.

The detention of El-Rufai and Malami has sparked concern among opposition groups, with some describing it as a pattern of injustice and abuse of state power.