Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has renewed concerns over the continued detention of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and Islamic cleric Sheikh Sani Khalifa Zaria, while also speaking on the legal battle involving Indigenous People of Biafra leader Nnamdi Kanu.
In his October 1, 2026 Independence Day address, Atiku called for the rule of law to be applied fairly and said the continued detention of El-Rufai and Sheikh Khalifa raised questions about due process that authorities needed to answer.
He then turned to Kanu, saying that following his conviction, his right to pursue a lawful appeal should be respected and that the grievances and divisions surrounding his case should be addressed seriously.
The remarks place three politically sensitive cases within Atiku’s wider argument about civil liberties, judicial processes and the application of the rule of law.
Atiku Renews Questions Over El-Rufai and Sheikh Zaria
Atiku’s latest intervention centres on what he describes as concerns about due process and the fair application of the law.
In his Independence Day speech, he argued that Nigerians should be free to question their leaders, organise peacefully and demand change, before calling for the rule of law to be applied fairly in every case.
His latest comments build on previous interventions involving both men.
In March, Atiku called on security agencies to either release Sheikh Sani Khalifa Zaria or prosecute him in court, arguing at the time that continued detention without trial raised constitutional and human-rights concerns.
He has also previously criticised El-Rufai’s prolonged detention and bail conditions.
Why El-Rufai Is in Custody
El-Rufai’s legal troubles involve multiple proceedings.
The former Kaduna governor was detained in February after honouring an invitation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Following his release from EFCC custody, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission confirmed that it had taken him into custody in connection with an ongoing investigation.
The ICPC subsequently arraigned El-Rufai and a co-defendant on corruption and money-laundering charges in March. A Federal High Court ordered that he remain in custody pending consideration of his bail application. He pleaded not guilty.
In April, a Federal High Court in Kaduna granted him bail in the sum of ₦200 million with conditions including two sureties.
El-Rufai also faces a separate case brought by the State Security Service over allegations that he intercepted communications involving National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
He was granted ₦100 million bail in that case in May, but a court later rejected his request to vary some of the conditions attached to the bail.
The ICPC has rejected claims that its handling of El-Rufai’s case is politically motivated and said his continued detention was linked to his inability to meet court-approved bail conditions.
El-Rufai has also challenged aspects of his treatment through separate fundamental-rights proceedings. One of those suits was adjourned in September until October 27.
Who Is Sheikh Sani Khalifa Zaria and Why Is He Facing Trial?
Sheikh Sani Khalifa Zaria is a Kaduna-based Islamic cleric whose case became linked to an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s government.
He was detained in December 2025 after travelling to Abuja in connection with a frozen bank account. Early reporting linked his detention to an alleged ₦2 million transfer from a military officer suspected of involvement in the alleged coup plot.
Atiku criticised the detention in March and called for the cleric to be either released or formally prosecuted. At that point, Punch reported that he had not yet been formally charged before a court.
That situation later changed.
In April, the federal government arraigned six defendants over the alleged coup plot, including a Zaria-based Islamic cleric identified in court reporting as Abdulkadir Sani. The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Proceedings continued into July, including a dispute over the interpretation of the cleric’s Hausa testimony and whether a statement attributed to him was made voluntarily.
That means the October discussion is no longer simply about detention without any court process; it now also involves an ongoing criminal trial in which the allegations remain contested.
What Atiku Said About Nnamdi Kanu
Atiku also addressed Nnamdi Kanu in the same Independence Day speech.
Unlike his comments on El-Rufai and Sheikh Khalifa, Atiku did not use the October 1 address to call for Kanu’s immediate release.
Instead, he focused on Kanu’s right to appeal his conviction.
“Following Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s conviction, his right to lawful appeal must be respected, while the grievances and divisions surrounding his case must be addressed seriously,” Atiku said.
Kanu was convicted by the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 20, 2025, on terrorism-related charges and sentenced to life imprisonment alongside additional prison terms.
On February 4, 2026, he filed an appeal asking the Court of Appeal to overturn the conviction and sentences. His notice of appeal challenged several aspects of the trial and asked the appellate court to set aside the judgment.
The federal government subsequently filed a cross-appeal connected to the case, according to reports in June.
Atiku’s argument, therefore, is that Kanu should be allowed to exhaust the legal appeal process and that the wider political and social grievances connected to his case should not be ignored.
Why Atiku Says Due Process Is the Issue
Atiku’s stated position is not that investigations or prosecutions should simply be abandoned.
His argument is that state institutions must operate within the law while dealing with suspects and convicted persons.
For El-Rufai, Atiku’s concerns have centred on prolonged detention and bail conditions.
For Sheikh Khalifa, his earlier criticism focused on the period during which the cleric was being held without formal prosecution. Since then, Sheikh Khalifa’s case has progressed to court, where the allegations are being contested.
For Kanu, Atiku’s emphasis is different: he says Kanu’s right to appeal an existing conviction must be respected.
Together, the three cases formed part of Atiku’s wider Independence Day argument that political freedom should include respect for lawful dissent, due process and judicial rights.
What the Authorities Have Said
The ICPC has denied that El-Rufai’s detention and prosecution are politically motivated.
The commission has said it is performing its statutory duties and has attributed his continued detention to unresolved court-approved bail conditions.
In Sheikh Khalifa’s case, the federal government has now moved beyond investigation and filed charges connected to the alleged coup plot. The defendants have pleaded not guilty, and proceedings remain before the court.
Kanu’s case is also before the appellate courts after his legal team challenged his November 2025 conviction and sentence.
What Happens Next?
For El-Rufai, attention will remain on the corruption and security-related cases against him, the conditions attached to his bail and the separate rights cases he has filed.
For Sheikh Sani Khalifa Zaria, the focus is now on the ongoing alleged coup trial and whether prosecutors can establish the allegations against him. He and the other defendants have pleaded not guilty.
For Nnamdi Kanu, the next major legal issue is the appeal against his conviction and life sentence.
Atiku’s October 1 intervention therefore links the three cases through a common theme — due process — but they are legally different.
El-Rufai is facing multiple criminal proceedings and disputes over bail. Sheikh Khalifa is now standing trial over allegations linked to the alleged coup plot. Kanu has already been convicted and is challenging that conviction on appeal.
Atiku’s position is that each case should proceed according to law: authorities should answer questions surrounding detention and bail, while Kanu’s lawful right to appeal should be respected.
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