Asiya El-Rufai, the wife of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has launched a direct, emotional appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, demanding the immediate restoration of her detained husband’s constitutional rights and warning that his life is at risk due to denied medical care. Speaking at her Abuja residence following the ICPC’s arrest of her husband’s personal physician, Asiya El-Rufai fiercely reminded the President of her family’s pivotal role in his election victory, claiming the former governor is being subjected to “psychological warfare” through restricted access to lawyers, family, and treatment for severe spikes in blood pressure and sugar levels.
Asiya who was flanked by El-Rufai’s other wife, Aichatou, spoke passionately to newsmen following the arrest of Professor Bello Abubakar, the former governor’s personal doctor. The family’s outcry centers heavily on El-Rufai’s deteriorating health condition, alleging that despite being diagnosed with high blood pressure and high blood sugar levels, he is being actively blocked from receiving standard medical attention.
Asiya clarified that the family is not asking President Tinubu to interfere with the judicial process or halt any ongoing prosecution. Instead, they are demanding that the former governor be granted the standard constitutional protections available to every Nigerian citizen, including bail on reasonable terms.
Read also: El-Rufai defied court-approved medical visit, ICPC alleges
“Mr. President Sir, I campaigned for you. I stood up and went to every nook and cranny of Kaduna State for you. My husband stood by your side. Is this what our family deserves?” she asked. “The ball is in your court, Mr. President. All these can stop if you say a word. Please let him go free… If he is guilty, let the court decide; if he is innocent, let the court decide.”
The family maintains that the current restrictions make it nearly impossible for El-Rufai to adequately prepare his defense, as custody limits his interaction with his legal team. Describing the situation as a form of “psychological warfare” designed to humiliate the former governor, Asiya stated that the family is living in constant trauma and fear that they will “wake up and hear some bad news.”
She sharply questioned the directives keeping her husband isolated, challenging the reported orders from “above” that have barred Professor Abubakar from seeing anyone. She raised red flags regarding a medical report allegedly issued by the National Hospital, Abuja. The family is calling for a thorough investigation into the authenticity of the document and the circumstances under which it was generated, urging authorities to question the consultant whose name appears on it.
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