We expect basic courtesy from Tinubu, we’ve done so much for him – El-Rufai’s wife
Asiya El-Rufai, wife of the detained former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to ensure her husband receives fair treatment as he faces criminal prosecution, arguing that the family deserves basic courtesy from an administration they strongly supported.
Mrs El-Rufai told Arise News on Wednesday that the family was not asking the president to interfere with the legal proceedings but wanted assurances that El-Rufai’s constitutional rights would be protected throughout the trial.
“I know what we went through. My husband supported President Tinubu because he’s an honourable man. He fought everyone, he even fought President Buhari… So yes, I brought it up because it is normal to expect basic courtesy from somebody that you’ve done so much for. I personally went and campaigned for him,” she said.
Mrs El-Rufai, a lawyer, acknowledged that Tinubu could not halt an ongoing prosecution but maintained that he could ensure government agencies complied with the law and respected due process.
“The president may not have the power to stop anything, but he has the power to tell them to do the right thing,” she said.
She said the family was seeking guarantees that El-Rufai would have access to proper medical care, legal counsel, family visits and bail under reasonable conditions.
Expressing concern over his continued detention, Mrs El-Rufai questioned why her husband had been denied bail despite previously receiving administrative bail on self-recognition from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and consistently appearing before the court whenever required. She suggested the prosecution’s argument that he posed a flight risk raised questions about possible political motivations.
On her husband’s health, she disclosed that El-Rufai, who is living with glaucoma, had been taken to eye clinics but had been prevented from seeing his longtime physician, Professor Bello, who has since been arrested. She described the situation as the “weaponising” of healthcare, warning that it could discourage medical practitioners from giving independent professional opinions.
She also refuted allegations that El-Rufai used a recent hospital visit to conduct political meetings, explaining that any interactions occurred only after members of the public approached him in the hospital’s reception area following his medical consultation.
Calling on the authorities to uphold the rule of law, Mrs El-Rufai warned that weakening public confidence in due process could have serious consequences for the country’s democracy and stability.
