El-Rufai Accuses ICPC of Attempting to Force Him Out of Politics as Condition for His Release

According to a detailed tweet by Imran U. Wakili, the Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El‑Rufai, has accused officials of Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency of attempting to force him to quit politics while he was in detention.

The allegation is contained in a 30-page criminal complaint filed before a court, where El-Rufai claims that officers of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) told him he would only regain his freedom if he stopped participating in political activities.

According to details in the filing, the demand allegedly came from officers acting on the authority of the commission’s chairman, Musa Adamu Aliyu, whom El-Rufai listed among the defendants alongside four other ICPC officials.

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In Paragraph 12 of the complaint, the former governor stated that during his detention, ICPC officers repeatedly told him his release depended on withdrawing from politics.

Further details appear in the supporting affidavit, particularly Paragraphs 22 to 24, where El-Rufai’s counsel said the former governor was warned that continued involvement in political activities would prolong his detention.

El-Rufai argues that the alleged demand was not only improper but unconstitutional. In the complaint, he said the attempt effectively sought to compel him to surrender his political rights, rights guaranteed under Nigeria’s constitution.

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The accusation forms Count Six in the complaint filed before the court. According to the document, the officials are accused of wrongful confinement with intent to compel, an offence cited under Sections 264 and 267 of the Penal Code.

Under Nigerian criminal law, those provisions address situations where a person is unlawfully detained or confined to force them to do or refrain from doing something against their will.

El-Rufai is asking the court to examine the conduct of the ICPC officials, arguing that the alleged actions represent abuse of office and an unlawful attempt to interfere with the political process.

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As of the time the complaint became public, the ICPC had not issued an official response to the allegations contained in the court filing.

The anti-corruption agency, established in 2000, is responsible for investigating and prosecuting corruption-related offences in Nigeria’s public sector.

If the case proceeds, the court will likely determine whether the claims meet the legal threshold required to initiate criminal proceedings against the officials named in the complaint.

For now, the allegations remain just that—allegations—contained in a court document and awaiting judicial scrutiny.

But politically, they add another layer of tension around El-Rufai, a figure who has remained active and influential in national political conversations since leaving office as Kaduna governor in 2023.