Tinubu Said on Nat’l TV That He Wouldn’t Leave the Podium Until Malam Agreed to Work With Him-Asiya

Asiya El-Rufai, the wife of detained former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has questioned the circumstances surrounding her husband’s continued detention, recalling President Bola Tinubu’s public efforts to secure his political support during the 2023 presidential campaign.

Speaking in an interview on Arise News on Thursday, July 9, 2026, Asiya reflected on a widely publicized campaign moment when President Tinubu declared that he would not leave the podium until Nasir El-Rufai agreed to work with him. She contrasted that public display of political solidarity with her husband’s current situation, saying the development was difficult for the family to comprehend.

“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.

According to Asiya, her husband had initially been reluctant to remain actively involved in frontline politics. However, she said he eventually accepted repeated appeals from Tinubu and played an active role in the 2023 campaign, particularly across Kaduna State, because he believed in the president’s vision for the country.

She noted that the former governor has now spent more than 140 days in the custody of anti-corruption and security agencies while facing charges in multiple jurisdictions. The prolonged detention, she said, has placed a heavy burden on both him and his family.

Asiya also raised concerns about her husband’s health and access to medical care. She alleged that he has been denied adequate access to his long-time medical specialists and referred to the reported arrest of his personal physician following a hospital visit, describing the incident as deeply troubling.

Despite her concerns, she emphasized that the family is not asking the President to interfere with ongoing judicial proceedings or halt the legal cases against her husband. Instead, she called on the presidency to ensure that government agencies adhere to due process, respect court decisions, provide reasonable bail conditions where applicable, and uphold the fundamental rights guaranteed to every Nigerian citizen…See More