Taiwo POPOOLA
A Kaduna-based legal practitioner and former National Legal Adviser of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Barrister Mark Jacob, while speaking with newsmen, says that former Kaduna state governor, Malami Nasir El-Rufai, should be ignored because he is only trying to gain the attention of Nigerians.
Prodding further, he said, “El-Rufai has boasted over and over in the past that they are the owners of the North, and that they are the owners of Nigeria. They are the movers and shakers of APC. When he was celebrating the Muslim/Muslim victory, he boasted that it was just a testing ground for the grand design they have for the country, so that after they have implemented the Muslim/Muslim issue in Kaduna and taken it to the national level, they will perpetuate their holding to power both in Kaduna and Nigeria.
“So whatever a man sows, so shall he reap. I see everything going on as the grand design of the APC. The whole thing happening is the law of Kama, and it will catch up with everybody.”
Mark advised that when one is in power, one has to be careful, especially in a democratic process like Nigeria, where power is for a short period.
According to him, “The APC that El-Rufai, Bola Tinubu, Mohammad Buhari and others gave birth to is an evil contraction that means no good to anybody. That is all the more reason why Nigerians have been suffering since 2015. Everything this country laboured for has been destroyed. Both at the National and international level. Nigeria has missed it, and we have become a laughing stock, and nobody takes Nigeria seriously anywhere.
“We have no value, we are just a setup. The world looks at us and shakes its head because Nigeria was projected to provide leadership in Africa. Sadly, those in power do not seem to realise the position they have brought Nigeria into. They are not bothered about what happens in the country but are busy driving the most expensive cars and getting ready for the 2027 general elections.”
He explained that the arrest of Nasir El-Rufai by the EFCC does not add anything or subtract anything from society, saying that the pains the citizens of Kaduna are passing through, where civil servants are not sure of their future, was enough reason to wave aside the controversy. He stressed that people are just living in fear over insecurity across the state.
‘’There are issues that should take the centre stage in the state, lamenting that the civil service has been destroyed by the APC, with jobs taken over by contractors. What is the hope of the common man? It should be the issue to be looked into with a view to putting things in place for the overall benefits of the people.”
“This is not a trivial issue. The office of the National Security Adviser plays a central role in safeguarding Nigeria’s security framework. If the communication of such a sensitive office can be illegally intercepted, it raises disturbing questions about national security, institutional protection, and the rule of law.
“In any serious society, an admission of involvement in illegal surveillance would immediately trigger investigation. Who carried out the tapping? Under whose authority was it done? Was it sanctioned by any lawful court order, or was it a rogue operation? These are not political questions; they are legal and security questions that demand answers.”
Calling for arrest and questioning in this context, according to him, is not persecution, but it is a demand for accountability, stressing that if an ordinary citizen admitted to participating in an illegal interception of a top security official’s communication, that citizen would certainly be invited for questioning, as the same standard must apply to a former governor.
The analyst stated that Nigeria cannot afford selective justice as the integrity of state institutions depends on equal application of the law, pointing out that if the allegation is unfounded or misrepresented, a proper investigation would clear the air, but silence or inaction would only deepen public distrust and create the impression that some individuals are untouchable.https://urbanexpresslive.com/he-should-settle-his-scores-with-apc-govts-asake-on-el-rufai-travails/
“There is also a dangerous trend in Nigerian politics where lawful scrutiny is quickly framed as political victimisation. Should the authorities decide to invite El-Rufai for questioning, it must not be twisted into a narrative of tyranny or witch-hunt. President Bola Tinubu or any administration in power has a constitutional responsibility to uphold the law, not to shield allies or pursue enemies.
“The demand here is simple: let due process take its course. Let the security agencies investigate. Let the facts be established. If wrongdoing is confirmed, consequences should follow in accordance with the law. If not, the individual involved will have the opportunity to clear his name through lawful procedures,” he submitted.
“As Nigerians, we are watching to see what will happen to him. Will justice be done to him, or will it amount to nothing?”
