Anyone Predicting Umar, Malami, El-Rufai’s Detention Would Have Been Called Mad — Odinkalu

Former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, has said the recent detention of former Code of Conduct Tribunal Chairman Danladi Umar, former Attorney General of the Federation Abubakar Malami, and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El Rufai demonstrates the fleeting nature of political power.

Odinkalu made the remark in a post shared on his X account on Thursday, noting that very few Nigerians would have imagined at the beginning of 2023 that the three former public officials would all find themselves in what he described as “judicially sanctioned administrative detention.”

According to him, political fortunes can change rapidly, making it dangerous for those in positions of authority to support actions that undermine justice simply because they target perceived opponents.

He argued that precedents created through the abuse of power often outlive those who establish them and may eventually be used against the same individuals who once endorsed or benefited from such actions.

“If you told anyone at the beginning of 2023 that Danladi Umar, Abubakar Malami, and Nasir El Rufai will all be in judicially sanctioned administrative detention in Nigeria, the person could have pronounced you mad, and justifiably too,” he wrote.

“But here we are.”

Odinkalu warned that celebrating injustice because it affects political rivals is shortsighted, stressing that the same legal and institutional mechanisms can later be turned against those who once wielded power.

“The terrible thing about supporting injustice is the precedent you gloat at because it afflicts your enemy can come back to ensnare you,” he stated.

He concluded by reminding public office holders that political influence is temporary and that no individual remains in power forever.

“Power is transient and, for those abusing it today, no condition is permanent,” Odinkalu added.

His comments come amid ongoing public debate over the detention of several former government officials, with many Nigerians expressing differing views on the legal processes surrounding the cases and what they mean for accountability, governance and the rule of law.