ABUJA — Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has dismissed rumors of his possible arrest upon returning to Nigeria from Cairo, Egypt, saying he remains undeterred and will be back in the country on February 20.
In a post on his X handle Tuesday, El-Rufai responded to concerns raised by one of his supporters, Imran U. Wakili, and said he had been hearing the same rumors since July 2024, when the Kaduna State House of Assembly’s report against him began circulating.
“They freaked out when we challenged the legality of the premeditated defamation and went to every length to compromise the judicial process, and this is continuing at the Court of Appeal,” El-Rufai wrote.
The former Federal Capital Territory minister accused unnamed individuals of using intimidation tactics to force him into exile.
“They have sent such messages of threats and intimidation through many of my friends, family, and political associates because they want me to go on self-imposed exile. I will not,” he said.
El-Rufai said he would suspend his academic engagements abroad to spend more time in Nigeria, insisting that he would not be silenced.
“I have now put all my previous academic and language-learning plans on hold and will spend more time in Nigeria than ever before. Silence is no longer golden. Inaction has never been an option,” he declared.
Reflecting on past experiences, he noted that political persecution was nothing new to him.
“I have been arrested and detained thrice in the past for expressing my views on previous governments. There is always a morning after the arrest, detention, or torture, and political life continues,” he stated.
El-Rufai reaffirmed his commitment to attending the book launch of former military ruler Ibrahim Babangida on February 20.
“For the attention of the pathetic characters that don’t sleep well whenever I am in Nigeria, take notice that I intend to return in time for the launch of Pres IBB’s memoirs, in sha Allah,” he said.
“We depend on no one but Allah. We fear no mortal but Almighty Allah. We always hope for the best but plan for the worst,” he added.
