Human rights lawyer and activist, Chidi Odinkalu, has taken a swipe at former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, saying the ex-governor has no moral basis to complain about his current legal troubles.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, Odinkalu argued that while every citizen is entitled to due process, El-Rufai should face legal accountability for actions taken during his time in office. He maintained that no individual deserves immunity from the law simply because of political status or past influence.
The former chairman of Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission described El-Rufai’s tenure as governor as marked by “extraordinary impunity, recklessness and brutality,” alleging that critics and political opponents were routinely targeted. According to him, some individuals who opposed the former governor suffered grave consequences, including enforced disappearances and deaths.
Odinkalu cited cases such as that of Dr. Rafael Galadima, who was reportedly abducted alongside his wife and later killed despite the payment of ransom, as well as the unresolved disappearance of activist Dadiyata, who vanished from his home in Kaduna several years ago. He further accused El-Rufai of forcefully restructuring traditional institutions, converting kingdoms into emirates and allegedly disenfranchising non-Muslim communities in the process.
The activist also alleged that political opponents had their properties demolished or confiscated by the Kaduna State Government under El-Rufai’s watch, adding that land expropriation was common.
Questioning El-Rufai’s claims of persecution, Odinkalu pointed out that the former governor played a major role in campaigning for President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 elections, including accompanying him to Chatham House. He concluded that El-Rufai, having helped usher in the current administration, should not now portray himself as a victim of the system he helped create.
