Dr Yunusa Tanko, a close ally of Peter Obi and former campaign spokesman, has dismissed as false the claim by Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo that Obi once detained Nasir El-Rufai during a visit to Anambra State in 2013, as reported by Punch on Monday, 21 July, 2025.
Tanko, reacting to the governor’s comments, said the accusation was baseless and misleading.
He stated that Governor Okpebholo was either misinformed or deliberately spreading falsehoods for political purposes.
Speaking in a phone interview, Tanko described the allegation as a complete fabrication.
He explained that during the time of the incident, he was the national chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and was physically present in Anambra when the controversy occurred.
According to Tanko, Peter Obi, then governor of Anambra under APGA, had no control over the federal security agencies involved in the situation.
He said the PDP was in control at the national level and made the decision that affected El-Rufai’s movement.
Tanko further explained that El-Rufai, who was then a chieftain of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), was denied access based on suspicions by the ruling party at the centre, not by Obi himself.
He added that Obi had even appealed for fairness and safety during that period.
Tanko said he has photographic evidence and personal records proving that El-Rufai brought the complaint directly to him during the election.
He recalled holding a press briefing on the matter at Obi’s campaign venue to clarify what happened.
He urged Nigerians not to be misled by political narratives and accused Okpebholo of lacking political maturity.
He warned that dragging Obi into the El-Rufai incident was an attempt to distract the public from more pressing issues and that such false claims would not stand unchallenged.
