Hajiya Asia El-Rufai, wife of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to ensure that her husband receives fair treatment and enjoys the constitutional rights guaranteed to every Nigerian, despite the criminal charges currently pending against him.
Asia made the appeal on Tuesday while addressing journalists alongside El-Rufai’s other wife, Aichatou, at the family residence in Abuja.
The emotional appeal comes amid growing controversy surrounding the former governor’s detention by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), his ongoing trial and the recent arrest of his personal physician, Professor Bello Abubakar.
While insisting that the family was not asking the President to interfere in the judicial process, Asia urged Tinubu to ensure that her husband is treated fairly and granted the rights available to other defendants facing trial.
She recalled the support she and her husband gave Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election campaign and expressed disappointment over what she described as the family’s current ordeal.
“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?” she said.
“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 stressed that the family was not seeking preferential treatment or political intervention in the court case involving the former governor.
According to her, they only want the constitutional guarantees available to every Nigerian citizen to be respected.
“Please, I am not asking you to tell them not to prosecute him, but we are asking you to allow him the basic human rights that the Constitution you swore to uphold and defend guarantees.
“Let them give him the bail that he can afford. If he is guilty, let the court decide. If he is innocent, let the court decide,” she stated.
The former Kaduna First Lady alleged that El-Rufai’s continued detention and restrictions on access to medical care, relatives and legal representatives had subjected the family to emotional distress.
She described the situation as a form of psychological pressure targeted at both the former governor and his family.
“We, the family, are traumatised. We live in constant fear that we will wake up and hear some bad news.
“I honestly think that what they are doing is more about psychological warfare against Mallam and his family. If they humiliate, dehumanise and put us in constant fear, they feel it affects him,” she said.
Asia also raised concerns about her husband’s health, claiming that he had been diagnosed with high blood pressure and elevated blood sugar levels.
According to her, the family has struggled to ensure that he receives adequate medical attention while in custody.
The issue of medical care has become a major point of disagreement between the family and the ICPC in recent days.
The family questioned the circumstances surrounding the arrest of Professor Bello Abubakar, El-Rufai’s personal physician.
Asia said they were informed that the doctor had been denied access to certain individuals for 24 hours based on instructions allegedly issued by unnamed authorities.
“We were told that orders from ‘above’ said Professor Bello Abubakar cannot have access to anybody for 24 hours. Who is the ‘above’?” she asked.
She further alleged that access to El-Rufai by his personal doctors, family members and other visitors had become increasingly restricted.
The family also expressed concern over a medical report reportedly issued by the National Hospital Abuja.
According to Asia, questions surrounding the document and the circumstances under which it was prepared should be investigated through the consultant whose name reportedly appeared on it.
She maintained that the restrictions placed on the former governor have made it difficult for him to adequately prepare his defence in the ongoing criminal case.
“We do not shy away from defending ourselves, but we want a fair trial. We want an opportunity to be heard.
“Mallam cannot adequately prepare for his defence while he remains in custody and has limited access to his lawyers.”
She repeated the family’s request that El-Rufai be granted bail on conditions that are reasonable and within his means.
“We are only asking that he be given the basic human rights guaranteed by the Constitution. Let him be granted bail on reasonable terms. If he is guilty, let the court decide. If he is innocent, let the court also decide,” she added.
The appeal came just hours after the ICPC announced the arrest of Professor Bello Abubakar.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the anti-graft agency said the physician was arrested over alleged false statements linked to a medical visit approved for El-Rufai while he was in the commission’s custody.
According to the ICPC, the former governor had requested to see his personal doctor, prompting the commission to facilitate a hospital visit in compliance with a court directive.
The agency said it arranged security and logistics to enable the consultation, stressing that it acted in line with its obligation to respect the welfare and rights of persons in custody.
However, the commission alleged that the visit was later used for activities outside the scope of the court-approved medical consultation.
The ICPC also stated that the Kaduna State High Court had fixed July 6, 7 and 8, 2026, for accelerated hearing of criminal charges against El-Rufai.
According to the agency, the former governor failed to appear in court on the first day of the proceedings after insisting on seeing his personal physician before leaving for the hearing.
The legal troubles facing El-Rufai have remained one of the most closely watched political and judicial developments in the country.
A former governor of Kaduna State and one-time Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, El-Rufai was among the prominent political figures who played key roles in the formation and growth of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
He was also one of the leading supporters of Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election campaign.
Since leaving office in 2023, however, the former governor has found himself at the centre of legal and political controversies that have attracted national attention.
The latest appeal by his family is likely to further intensify public debate over the balance between the rights of defendants, the independence of anti-corruption agencies and the need for due process in criminal proceedings.