A Kaduna-based legal practitioner and former National Legal Adviser of the Peoples Democratic Party, Barrister Mark Jacob, has said that former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, should be ignored as he is only seeking attention from Nigerians.
Speaking exclusively to DAILY POST on the recent arrest of El-Rufai by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Jacob said the former governor “wants to be heard, and the more attention you give him, the more he enjoys it. He should be ignored and be allowed to fight the battle with APC he brought to power.”
Jacob recalled El-Rufai’s past statements claiming ownership of Northern Nigeria and the country through APC, adding that the former governor celebrated the Muslim/Muslim political arrangement in Kaduna as a testing ground for broader ambitions. He argued that “whatever a man sows, so shall he reap,” describing ongoing events as consequences of APC’s actions.
He also warned that Nigerians continue to suffer because of the APC, claiming the party’s policies since 2015 have destroyed national progress and diminished Nigeria’s standing internationally. According to Jacob, civil servants in Kaduna face uncertainty, insecurity is widespread, and government resources have been mismanaged.
Analyst Suleiman Abubaksr, however, highlighted the legal dimension, noting that the rule of law must apply to everyone. He pointed to El-Rufai’s admission that he allegedly tapped the phone of the National Security Adviser, saying it raises serious legal and national security questions that warrant investigation. Abubaksr stressed that arrest or questioning in such cases is accountability, not persecution, and that due process must take its course.
Similarly, APC stalwart Alhaji Suleiman Haruna argued that El-Rufai should face the full consequences of the law if found guilty, warning that failure to act would set a dangerous precedent for others in positions of power.
The comments reflect ongoing debates in Kaduna and across Nigeria on governance, accountability, and the rule of law, amid concerns over insecurity, civil service dysfunction, and political manoeuvring ahead of future elections.
