El-Rufai Did Not Hold Political Meeting During Medical Consultation, Aide Says

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai did not hold any political meeting during a recent medical consultation, according to his media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, who has rejected claims that the visit was used for political activity.

The denial comes amid a dispute over the circumstances surrounding El-Rufai’s hospital visit while in custody, with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission alleging that the former governor abused the court-approved medical access. El-Rufai’s camp, however, insists that the visit was strictly for treatment and was carried out within the bounds of a subsisting court order.

Adekeye said the medical trip was prompted by health concerns and that the former governor had been granted access to healthcare by the court. He argued that the order did not place restrictions on who could be present while El-Rufai was receiving treatment, and that the commission was reading the directive too narrowly.

The aide also pushed back against the suggestion that the visit was turned into a political gathering. According to the camp, the sequence of events does not support that claim, and the presence of others at the hospital should not be interpreted as a breach of the court’s order.

The controversy has added to the legal and political tension surrounding El-Rufai’s detention. His family and supporters have repeatedly raised concerns about his health and access to proper medical care, while the anti-graft agency has maintained that it has not denied him necessary treatment.

Adekeye said the issue began when El-Rufai developed a medical problem and requested access to a doctor. He added that the former governor’s camp considers medical care a legal right rather than a privilege and says the treatment request should have been handled without controversy.

The aide further argued that the hospital appointment was moved in a way that complicated the visit and that the commission’s own personnel were present throughout the process. In his view, that makes it difficult to sustain the allegation that the outing was secretly converted into a political meeting.

The former governor’s camp has also criticised the arrest of his physician, saying the doctor was wrongly drawn into the dispute. It has asked the ICPC to provide evidence for its claims and to withdraw what it describes as a false allegation.

The disagreement highlights the larger conflict between El-Rufai’s camp and the ICPC over how the court order should be interpreted. For now, the aide insists the former governor complied with the law, received medical attention as permitted, and did not use the visit for political engagement.