El Rufai Wife Begs Tinubu Over Ex Governor Detention

(President Bola Tinubu. Photo Credit: Leadership News)

Hajiya Asiya El-Rufai, wife of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure her husband is granted what she described as his constitutional rights while facing prosecution.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday alongside El-Rufai's second wife, Aichatou, Asiya said the family was not asking the president to halt the legal case against the former governor but simply to ensure he is treated fairly.

Her comments came after the arrest of El-Rufai's personal physician, Prof. Bello Abubakar, an action the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission confirmed on Tuesday.

Asiya alleged that her husband, whom she said is being treated for high blood pressure and high blood sugar, has been denied proper medical attention while in custody.

She said the family was not seeking an end to the prosecution but only asking that he be allowed to enjoy the basic human rights guaranteed under the Constitution, including access to medical care, his family, his lawyers, and bail on reasonable terms.

She reminded Tinubu of the support she and her husband had extended to him during the 2023 presidential election campaign, recalling that she had campaigned for him across Kaduna State and that her husband had stood by his side, questioning whether that was what their family deserved in return.

Asiya also called on the president to intervene to ensure El-Rufai is granted bail should he qualify under the law, stating that if he is guilty, the court should decide, and if innocent, the court should likewise decide, but that he should be allowed the rights every Nigerian is entitled to.

The former governor's wife claimed that the family's inability to see him regularly has caused them emotional distress, saying they live in constant fear of waking up to bad news.

She further alleged that El-Rufai's personal doctor had been denied access to him and questioned who issued the directive preventing the physician from attending to his patient.

Asiya also raised concerns over a medical report reportedly issued by the National Hospital, Abuja, saying its authenticity and the circumstances surrounding its release should be investigated.

According to her, the restrictions placed on El-Rufai have made it difficult for him to prepare his legal defence, stressing that he cannot adequately do so while in custody with limited access to his lawyers.