Former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, has alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government is planning to arrest him, amid what he described as growing political pressure on politicians to align with the ruling party.
El-Rufai, a prominent member of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), made the claims during an interview with BBC Hausa on Wednesday.
The former governor, who has recently intensified his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration and the APC under which he served for eight years, said although he had not been arrested, some of his associates had been detained.
“Four people we worked with in Kaduna have been arrested; so it’s only a matter of time before they come for me too,” El-Rufai said.
He further alleged that politicians were being coerced to either remain in the APC or defect to the ruling party, describing the situation as political intimidation.
The comments come amid the arrest and ongoing prosecution of Nigeria’s former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, who is currently in custody.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has accused Malami of offences including abuse of office and money laundering, and later rearrested him over alleged involvement in terrorism financing.
Malami, who is regarded as a key opposition figure following his defection from the APC to the ADC, has denied the allegations, describing the charges as a political witch-hunt.
Nasir El-Rufai governed Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023 under the APC and was a prominent figure in the party before his recent defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Since leaving office, he has emerged as a vocal critic of President Bola Tinubu’s administration and the ruling party’s internal politics.
His claims come amid heightened political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, with defections, prosecutions and accusations of political intimidation dominating public discourse. Anti-graft agencies ha
