ABUJA — The camp of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the continued detention of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, saying the former governor has spent 200 days in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

Atiku’s media aide, Paul Ibe, in a statement on Friday, said El-Rufai was not seeking immunity from investigation but was entitled to justice, due process and equal treatment under the law.

“Two hundred days! That’s how long Mallam Nasir El-Rufai has spent in detention as at today, 04 September 2026,” Ibe said.

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“By the way, he is not asking for immunity from investigation. He is entitled to justice, due process and equal treatment under the law.”

Ibe described El-Rufai as a political prisoner and alleged that his continued detention was connected to his decision to pursue a political path different from that of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

He questioned what he described as unequal treatment of opposition politicians compared with politicians affiliated with the ruling party.

The former Vice President’s aide cited former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, who is facing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), as an example of what he described as a more favourable treatment of an APC politician.

Bello has remained politically active and secured the APC senatorial ticket, according to Ibe, who argued that while nobody should be above the law, the law must also be applied fairly and consistently.

“But Nigerians have every right to ask: why does the law appear so aggressive against opposition politicians and so accommodating to politicians in the ruling APC?” he asked.

Ibe further alleged that security and anti-corruption agencies, including the police, EFCC and ICPC, were being used to mount pressure on opposition figures ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He also alleged that some elements within the judiciary were contributing to what he described as a wider political clampdown.

The Atiku camp challenged the APC to campaign on the performance of the Tinubu administration rather than rely on what it described as pressure against political opponents.

“If the APC believes Nigerians love its record of hunger, inflation, high fuel and electricity prices, high cost of living and crushing poverty, let it campaign on that record,” Ibe said.

He also challenged President Bola Tinubu to seek another term based on his administration’s performance and allow Nigerians to determine the outcome at the ballot box.

“If Tinubu believes he deserves another mandate, let him earn it at the ballot box and not with a gun to the heads of the opposition leaders and the citizens they seek to govern,” he said.

Ibe maintained that political opponents should be defeated through elections rather than arrests, intimidation or prolonged litigation.

“The opposition should be defeated by voters, not detained, intimidated or buried under endless litigation,” he added.

According to him, a government confident of its popularity should not be afraid of a strong opposition, stressing that democracy goes beyond merely conducting elections.

“A government that is confident in its popularity should not fear a strong opposition. Democracy is not simply about holding elections.

“It is about ensuring that those elections are genuinely free and competitive,” Ibe said.

He warned that the continued detention of opposition figures could have consequences beyond the individuals involved and potentially undermine Nigeria’s democratic process.

“Today, it is El-Rufai. Tomorrow, it could be anyone. If state power is used to clear the political field before Nigerians get to vote, then the greatest casualty will not be the opposition. It will be Nigerian democracy,” Ibe warned.

The comments add to the growing political debate over the treatment of opposition figures and the role of Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies ahead of the 2027 elections.