Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has raised alarm over Mallam Nasir El-Rufai's continued detention. He blamed the Federal High Court's refusal to adjust bail conditions that are virtually impossible to meet.
In a statement by his spokesman Phrank Shaibu, Atiku questioned the state of constitutional rights in Nigeria. He also criticised what he called the weaponisation of legal processes against political opponents.
Courts have the power to set bail conditions, Atiku acknowledged. But that power must be exercised with restraint and reason, he insisted.
Conditions that are clearly excessive or impossible to satisfy turn bail into something else entirely. They become detention by another name, according to the former Vice President.
"The law is clear: an accused person is innocent until proven guilty," Atiku said. "Bail exists to protect that right.
It was never meant to be punishment before trial."
He questioned the logic behind El-Rufai's specific bail requirements. The conditions demand a serving federal civil servant at Grade Level 17 who also owns property in upscale Abuja neighbourhoods like Maitama or Asokoro.
"Is the court granting bail or making it impossible to obtain?" Atiku asked rhetorically. "Nigerians deserve a straight answer to that question."
Atiku warned that this case extends beyond one person. The precedent threatens the freedom of all Nigerians, he argued.
"Today it is El-Rufai," the former Vice President noted. "Tomorrow it could be any citizen whose liberty depends on meeting impossible conditions."
Democracy depends on an independent judiciary, Atiku stressed. Courts serve as the final shield against government overreach.
Judicial decisions must be legally correct and fair, he said. They must also maintain public confidence in the justice system.
"Public trust in our institutions is already fragile," Atiku warned. "The judiciary cannot afford to create doubt about whether justice actually exists or remains out of reach."
Bail should ensure a defendant shows up for trial, Atiku noted. It should never guarantee someone stays locked away indefinitely.
Across Nigeria, opposition figures and government critics face mounting legal troubles. Atiku described this as a troubling pattern that erodes democratic faith.
"Citizens are beginning to wonder if courts punish dissent rather than prosecute genuine crimes," he said. "That suspicion alone damages democracy."
A true democracy is judged by how it treats its critics, not its leaders. Atiku made this point emphatically in his statement.
He clarified his remarks weren't about the actual charges against El-Rufai. His concern was purely about the fairness of the bail process.
