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Hajiya Asiya El-Rufai, the wife of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, appealed directly to President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday to grant her husband fair bail terms and access to medical care.
In a video circulating on social media, she reminded the president of her family’s political loyalty, noting that both she and her husband campaigned extensively across Kaduna State to secure Tinubu’s electoral victory.
She questioned if the current harsh treatment is what her family deserves, emphasising that the president holds the power to resolve the situation immediately.
Asiya El-Rufai clarified that she is not asking the presidency to halt her husband’s prosecution but rather to guarantee the basic human rights protected by the Nigerian Constitution.
She urged President Tinubu to leverage his empathy as a father and allow the former governor to receive affordable bail terms so he can face trial properly.
Ultimately, she stated that the family simply wants the judiciary to determine her husband’s guilt or innocence through a fair legal process rather than through restrictive detention.
The emotional plea follows months of prolonged detention for the former governor.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) arrested El-Rufai earlier this year as part of a high-profile investigation into an alleged ₦432 billion public funds mismanagement case, fraud, and a separate federal charge regarding the unauthorised wiretapping of national security phone lines.
High courts in both Kaduna and Abuja have repeatedly denied or adjourned his bail applications, citing the prosecution’s concerns that El-Rufai poses a flight risk and could use his high status to interfere with ongoing investigations.
Tensions surrounding his custody spiked significantly just days before this appeal.
The ICPC recently arrested El-Rufai’s personal physician, accusing the doctor of falsifying statements and alleging that the former governor abused a court-approved hospital visit to hold unauthorised meetings with political associates.
In contrast, opposition leaders and the El-Rufai family claim that authorities are subjecting the former governor to political persecution, denying him critical medical care, and violating his fundamental constitutional rights.
