Atiku Abubakar visits Nasir El-Rufai following an alleged attempt by security agents to arrest the former Kaduna governor at Abuja airport
Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, visited former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on Thursday night in a show of solidarity, hours after El-Rufai alleged that security agents attempted to arrest him at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, following his return from Cairo, Egypt.
Also read: Atiku Accuses ICPC of Partisanship After Failed Attempt to Arrest El-Rufai
In a statement posted on X on Friday, Atiku said, “Last night, I paid a solidarity visit to the former Governor of Kaduna State and stalwart of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, following the failed attempt by the partisan ICPC to arrest him at the airport upon his arrival in the country.”
Both politicians are members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), an opposition party campaigning to unseat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 presidential election.
El-Rufai condemned the attempted arrest in a post on X, calling it illegal and a violation of the rule of law.
“My lawyers have issued a statement that condemns the illegal attempt to arrest me today at the Abuja airport upon my arrival from Cairo,” he wrote.
“Our country must outgrow executive overreach and deliberate disregard for the rule of law.”
According to El-Rufai’s media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, security operatives attempted to take the former governor into custody upon his arrival.
Adekeye alleged that El-Rufai declined to comply without a formal invitation and that his passport was seized during the encounter.
The incident comes shortly after El-Rufai warned of possible political intimidation against opposition figures, noting that several of his former aides in Kaduna had already been detained.
He told BBC Hausa Service that recent developments suggested he could be the next target of such actions.
Also read: Yakasai: Atiku Could “Anoint” Obi for ADC 2027 Ticket
The airport episode has drawn significant attention online, with videos of the confrontation circulating widely on social media, sparking debate over executive overreach and the treatment of opposition leaders in Nigeria.
