“I campaigned for you”: El-Rufai’s wife makes emotional plea to Tinubu over husband’s detention (VIDEO)

• El-Rufai’s wife urges Tinubu to ensure her husband gets a fair trial.

• She raises concerns over El-Rufai’s health and access to medical care.

• Peter Obi reacts as the emotional appeal sparks widespread attention.

Hajiya Asia El-Rufai, one of the wives of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has made an emotional appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urging him to ensure her husband is treated fairly while in detention.

Speaking at a press conference held at her Abuja residence on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, alongside El-Rufai’s other wife, Aichatou, Asia reminded the President of the support she and her husband gave him during the 2023 presidential election campaign.

“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?

“The ball is in your court, Mr President. All these can stop if you say a word. We believe that you are a father, and we know you can empathise.”

Asia El-Rufai insisted that the family is not asking President Tinubu to halt the legal proceedings against her husband or interfere with the courts.

Instead, she said they only want El-Rufai’s constitutional rights to be respected, including access to a fair trial, reasonable bail, legal representation, and proper medical care while in detention.

She urged the President to ensure that due process is followed, stressing that the family simply wants justice, not political favour.

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Asia said the family is increasingly worried about the former governor’s health.

According to her, El-Rufai has been diagnosed with high blood pressure and high blood sugar but has allegedly been denied adequate medical attention while in custody.

She said the situation has left the family traumatised and living in constant fear for his life.

The press conference came just hours after the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) confirmed the arrest of El-Rufai’s personal physician, Professor Bello Abubakar.

The anti-graft agency alleged that the doctor made false statements concerning a court-approved medical visit while El-Rufai was in detention.

Reacting to the development, Asia questioned who authorised the decision to stop the professor from seeing her husband and suggested the order came from "above".

She also accused authorities of subjecting El-Rufai and his family to what she described as “psychological warfare” by restricting visits from relatives, lawyers, and doctors.

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Asia’s appeal comes amid the worsening political relationship between President Tinubu and El-Rufai.

The former Kaduna governor was one of the APC’s most influential northern leaders during the 2023 presidential election and played a key role in mobilising support for Tinubu across Kaduna State and the wider North.

Since the election, however, the relationship between the two men has reportedly deteriorated.

El-Rufai has faced several legal cases involving corruption, cybercrime, and national security allegations.

His family has repeatedly argued that restrictions placed on him in detention have made it difficult for him to meet his lawyers and adequately prepare his defence.

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The emotional press conference has since gone viral on social media, drawing reactions from political figures and Nigerians online.

Among those who responded was Peter Obi, who expressed sympathy for the El-Rufai family and warned against what he described as selective justice.

Obi urged the government to ensure that the judicial process remains transparent, fair, and rooted in due process, saying this is essential to maintaining public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic institutions.