Atiku Raises Alarm Over El-Rufai’s Continued Detention

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has raised concerns over the continued detention of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, warning that excessively stringent bail conditions could undermine constitutional safeguards and erode public confidence in the justice system.

Atiku, in a statement issued on Wednesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, described the refusal of the Federal High Court to review El-Rufai’s bail conditions as troubling, arguing that conditions that are practically impossible to meet amount to a “constructive denial of bail.”

The former vice president maintained that while courts have the discretion to impose bail conditions, such powers must be exercised reasonably and in line with the principles of justice.

“The law is settled that an accused person remains innocent until proven guilty. Bail exists to preserve that constitutional protection. It was never designed to become a sophisticated instrument for punishment before conviction,” Atiku said.

He questioned the rationale behind bail requirements that allegedly compel a defendant to produce a serving Grade Level 17 federal civil servant who owns verifiable property in Abuja’s highbrow Maitama or Asokoro districts, alongside other stringent conditions.

“Nigerians are entitled to ask a simple question: is the objective to grant bail or to ensure that bail remains unattainable?” he asked.

The African Development Congress presidential candidate said the implications of such judicial decisions extend beyond El-Rufai, warning that they could set precedents capable of affecting the liberties of ordinary citizens.

“This is not merely about one individual. It is about the principles that underpin a democratic society governed by the rule of law. Today it is El-Rufai. Tomorrow it could be any citizen whose liberty depends not on the law but on whether he can satisfy conditions that few Nigerians can ever meet,” he stated.

The former vice president stressed that the judiciary remains the last line of defence against abuse of power and must ensure that its decisions inspire confidence in the fairness and accessibility of justice.