Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has alleged that some individuals within President Bola Tinubu’s administration are attempting to force him into exile.
The rift between El-Rufai and members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has deepened in recent weeks, particularly after he accused the party of “straying from its core values.”
In a post on X on Tuesday, El-Rufai, who is currently in Egypt, responded to claims of a plot to arrest and detain him. Reacting to a post by X user Imran Wakili, he dismissed the speculation and stated his intention to return to Nigeria before 20 February.
“I will spend more time in Nigeria than ever before,” he wrote.
“They have sent such similar messages of intimidation and threats through many of my friends, family, and political associates because they want me to go on self-imposed exile.
“I have now put all my previous academic and language-learning plans on hold. Silence is no longer golden. Inaction has never been an option.
“The arrest, detention, and torture of perceived political enemies are nothing new in human affairs. I have been arrested and detained thrice in the past for expressing my views on previous governments.
“There is always a morning after the arrest, detention, or torture, and political life continues. As for death, it is when Allah destines it, and it is ultimately the fate of every human.
“For the attention of the pathetic characters that don’t sleep well whenever I am in Nigeria, take notice that I intend to return in time for the launch of President IBB’s memoirs, in sha Allah, scheduled for 20 February.
“We depend on no one but Allah. We fear no mortal but Almighty Allah. We always hope for the best but plan for the worst.”
El-Rufai, a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has become an outspoken critic of the Tinubu administration.
He was initially nominated as a minister by President Tinubu, but in August 2023, the Senate withheld his confirmation, citing security concerns.
