“I Will Not Go on Exile” – El-Rufai Dismisses Arrest, Torture Rumors, Vows Return to Nigeria

El-Rufai Dismisses Exile Rumors, Vows to Return to Nigeria Amid Political Rift

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has rejected claims that he plans to go into exile, vowing to return to Nigeria before February 20, 2025, despite alleged threats of arrest and torture from President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Responding to speculation on social media, El-Rufai insisted he would not be intimidated into fleeing the country, despite reports that the government is plotting against him.

“I have been hearing these same rumors of arrest, detention, and torture since July 2024 when the so-called report of the Kaduna Assembly began circulating,” he said. “They want me to go on self-imposed exile. I will not.”

The former governor, who is currently in Egypt, stated that he had put his academic and language-learning plans on hold to spend more time in Nigeria.

El-Rufai’s Rift with the APC and Tinubu

Once a key ally of Tinubu and a major northern powerbroker in the 2023 elections, El-Rufai played a crucial role in ensuring the APC presidential ticket went to a southern candidate. However, his relationship with the administration soured after his nomination as a minister was rejected by the Senate in August 2023, citing security concerns.

Since then, he has distanced himself from APC activities and has been linked with the Social Democratic Party (SDP), though he denies plans to defect. Additionally, his successor, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, has initiated a corruption probe into El-Rufai’s administration, a move the former governor claims is politically motivated.

Despite the tensions, El-Rufai remains defiant. “We depend on no one but Allah. We fear no mortal but Almighty Allah,” he declared, confirming his plans to return for the launch of former President Ibrahim Babangida’s memoir on February 20.