Former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai says he has been hearing reports of a plot to arrest him amid his ongoing feud with some members of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
In a post on X on Tuesday, the former minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) claimed his adversaries were attempting to force him into exile.
Responding to a post by X user Imran Wakili about the alleged plan to detain him, El-Rufai, who disclosed that he is currently in Egypt, said he would return to Nigeria before February 20.
“I have been hearing these same rumours of arrest, detention and torture in some dungeon in the NSA’s office (where Emefiele was allegedly tortured to resign as CBN governor), since July 2024 when the so-called report of the Kaduna Assembly 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.”
He alleged that threats and intimidation tactics had been relayed to him through friends, family and political associates in an attempt to keep him away.
“They have sent such similar messages of intimidation and threats through many of my friends, family and political associates because they want me to go on self-imposed exile.
“I will not. I have now put all my previous academic and language-learning plans on hold and will spend more time in Nigeria than ever before.
“I will spend more time in Nigeria than ever before. I have now put all my previous academic and language-learning plans on hold. Silence is no longer golden. Inaction has never been an option.
“The arrest, detention, and torture of perceived political enemies are nothing new. 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. As for death, it is when Allah destines it, and it is ultimately the fate of every human.
“For those who cannot sleep well whenever I am in Nigeria, take note that I intend to return in time for the launch of President Ibrahim Babangida’s memoirs on February 20, in sha Allah,” he wrote.
The 64-year-old who has been vocal about his dissatisfaction with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), recently accused the party of deviating from its core principles.
The rift between him and the government has since deepened.
El-Rufai, once a key figure in Tinubu’s presidential campaign, was nominated as a minister in 2023 but was dropped after the Senate withheld his confirmation, citing security concerns.
