Atiku Slams ‘Impossible’ Bail Terms for El-Rufai, Accuses Tinubu Government of Ignoring Nigerians’ Hardships

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has expressed concern over the continued detention of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, arguing that the stringent bail conditions imposed on him undermine the principle of justice and constitutional rights.

In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said bail should protect the presumption of innocence and not become a disguised form of punishment before trial.

He argued that bail conditions must be realistic and achievable, warning that requirements that are practically impossible to meet amount to a denial of freedom.

According to Atiku, the court’s demand for a serving Grade Level 17 federal civil servant with verifiable property in some of Abuja’s most expensive districts, among other conditions, has raised serious questions about whether the intention was to grant bail or make El-Rufai’s release unattainable.

He stressed that the matter goes beyond El-Rufai as an individual, touching on wider issues of civil liberties, due process, and the rule of law in a democratic society.

“The law is clear that every accused person remains innocent until proven guilty,” Atiku said.

“Bail exists to safeguard that constitutional guarantee. It was never intended to serve as a sophisticated tool for punishment before conviction.”

In a separate statement also released through Shaibu, Atiku took aim at the Presidency for what he described as an attempt to shift blame for the country’s deepening insecurity and economic difficulties onto the media.

He accused the Tinubu administration of being increasingly disconnected from the realities facing ordinary Nigerians, saying it was choosing to attack those reporting the problems rather than address the problems themselves.

“At a time when millions of Nigerians are struggling to survive, it is both astonishing and insulting that the government has chosen to target the messenger instead of confronting the message,” he said.

According to Atiku, recent comments from the Presidency reflect a troubling gap between the government and the citizens it serves.

“Nigerians are living through one of the toughest periods in recent history. Yet, rather than acknowledging their suffering and presenting practical solutions, the government is trying to convince people that the hardship they experience daily exists only in media reports,” he said.

The former vice president insisted that Nigerians do not need journalists to tell them whether they are facing hardship.

“The father who goes to bed worrying about how to feed his family does not need a newspaper headline to confirm hunger. The mother paying three or four times more for basic food items than she did two years ago does not need a television report to understand inflation.

“The small business owner whose capital has been wiped out, the unemployed graduate searching endlessly for work, and the pensioner watching a lifetime of savings lose value all know the reality of their situation without any media interpretation,” Atiku added.