By Olakunle Oke
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has accused the Federal Government of political intimidation following an alleged attempt by security operatives to arrest him at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
The incident occurred on Thursday shortly after El-Rufai arrived on a flight from Cairo, Egypt.
According to his Media Adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, security agents approached the former governor upon disembarkation and sought to take him into custody.
El-Rufai reportedly refused to comply, insisting he would not follow the agents without a formal invitation.
While the former governor resisted the arrest, Adekeye claimed that the operatives forcibly seized El-Rufai’s passport from an aide during the encounter.
This development follows El-Rufai’s recent defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a recent interview with BBC Hausa, he expressed concerns that he was being targeted for his political stance, noting that several of his former associates in Kaduna had already been detained.
He characterized the current political climate as one of survival rather than conviction, alleging that pressure is being applied to politicians to remain within or defect to the ruling party.
