ABUJA — The political atmosphere in the nation’s capital turned electric on Thursday night as former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, issued a stinging challenge to the Presidency. Speaking to supporters and associates at his Abuja residence following a botched attempt by security operatives to detain him, El-Rufai reportedly declared that “even the President” lacks the legal authority to order his arrest without due process.
The bold statement comes in the wake of a high-stakes confrontation at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, where operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) attempted to intercept the former governor upon his return from Cairo.
“Send a Formal Invitation”
Eyewitnesses at the airport described a defiant El-Rufai who stood his ground against security agents for nearly an hour. According to sources present during the late-night solidarity visit by Atiku Abubakar and Rotimi Amaechi, El-Rufai was quoted as telling the operatives:
“I am a citizen of this country with rights. Even the President cannot just order my arrest because he feels like it. If you want to invite me, send a formal invitation and I will show up. You don’t ambush a man at the airport without a warrant.”
The former governor, who recently aligned himself with the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), suggested that the move was a transparent attempt at “political persecution” rather than a legitimate law enforcement action.
The Midnight Alliance
The tension escalated further when the 2023 PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, arrived at El-Rufai’s home late Thursday. The two former rivals, who have recently found common ground in their criticism of the Tinubu administration’s economic policies, spent hours in a closed-door meeting.
“What we saw today was a descent into lawlessness,” Atiku told reporters briefly as he departed. “The era of using state apparatus to intimidate perceived political enemies should be behind us. We stand with Mallam Nasir in demanding that the rule of law be respected.”
The Seized Passport and Monday’s Showdown
While El-Rufai successfully resisted detention at the airport, the DSS did manage to seize his international passport. The agency later released a statement clarifying that the action was taken at the behest of an anti-graft agency—widely understood to be the EFCC—regarding an ongoing investigation into his eight-year tenure as Governor of Kaduna State.
Despite the bravado, El-Rufai appears ready for a legal battle. His legal team confirmed that he has no intention of “running away” and has committed to honoring an invitation at the EFCC headquarters at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, February 16, 2026.
The “dare” issued by El-Rufai marks a significant escalation in the rift between the presidency and the former “G-5” ally, signaling that the political gloves are officially off as the 2027 election cycle begins to take shape.
