Asiya El-Rufai, the wife of detained former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has invoked a striking public moment from the 2023 presidential campaign trail to question the current plight of her husband under the present administration.
Speaking during an exclusive interview from 26:55 on Arise News on Thursday, July 9, 2026, Asiya El-Rufai pointedly recalled the length to which President Bola Ahmed Tinubu went to secure her husband’s political partnership, contrasting it sharply with his current reality in state custody.
“The president, on national television, said he was not getting down from the podium until Malam agreed to work with him. But here we are today,” she stated.
The reminder comes as the former governor marks over 140 days in the custody of Nigeria’s anti-corruption and security agencies, facing charges across multiple jurisdictions.
According to Asiya El-Rufai, her husband’s initial reluctance to remain active in frontline politics was overridden by personal appeals from Tinubu himself during the campaign season. She noted that despite her own reservations about the immense toll public service takes on their family, Nasir El-Rufai ultimately chose to campaign extensively throughout Kaduna State because of his belief in the president’s vision.
Reflecting on the stark contrast between those public declarations of alliance and her husband’s current confinement, she lamented the severe restrictions now placed on him. The family has recently decried a lack of adequate access to his long-term medical physicians, culminating in the controversial arrest of his personal doctor following a hospital visit.
While emphasizing that the family is not asking the presidency to bypass the judiciary or quash active court cases, Asiya El-Rufai maintained that the president should use his authority to guarantee that state agencies respect due process, honor realistic bail conditions, and uphold fundamental human rights….See More