An alleged attempt was made on Thursday to arrest Malam Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State, at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja. The incident reportedly occurred shortly after El-Rufai disembarked from a flight arriving from Cairo, Egypt. Muyiwa Adekeye, El-Rufai's Media Adviser, widely publicized the event through social media posts and statements, claiming security operatives approached the former governor with intentions to take him into custody.

According to Adekeye and corroborated by El-Rufai's retweeted post, Malam El-Rufai declined to comply with the operatives' request, steadfastly insisting that he would not honor any such demand without a formal invitation or an official warrant. In a further escalation of the confrontation, Adekeye alleged that the security personnel subsequently seized the former governor’s international passport from one of his aides. Neither the Department of State Services (DSS) nor the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have issued official statements regarding the alleged incident, leaving the specific agency behind the move unclear, though a video posted by Adekeye showed a Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) official attempting to prevent recording of the event.

This development comes amidst heightened political tensions and follows El-Rufai's recent public statements about potential arrests. Just a day prior to the airport encounter, in an interview with BBC Hausa, El-Rufai had expressed his expectation of being arrested soon, stating, "Four people we worked with in Kaduna have been arrested; so it’s only a matter of time before they come for me too." He had confirmed at the time that he had not yet been apprehended but highlighted the increasingly hostile political atmosphere for opposition figures.

Malam El-Rufai, who recently defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), has become a vocal critic of the President Bola Tinubu administration and the APC leadership. He has alleged political pressure on some politicians to either defect to the ruling party or remain within its ranks. His criticism has intensified in recent weeks, aligning him with a coalition preparing for future elections.

The former governor has also publicly distanced himself from President Tinubu, dismissing any suggestions of a personal bond. He stated in a television interview that he and the President "never got along" and lacked a personal relationship, emphasizing that his support for Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election was solely based on party principles and an internal APC power-rotation agreement. Furthermore, El-Rufai revealed that he was offered a ministerial position but would have declined or exited the administration due to "deep philosophical and governance differences," stressing his belief that public service should be about delivery, results, and performance, not personal gain or cronyism.

With this alleged airport drama, the tensions between Malam El-Rufai and the Federal Government appear to be significantly escalating, further intensifying Nigeria's already charged political climate. Observers anticipate that the coming days will be crucial in determining the ramifications of these developments and whether El-Rufai's fears of imminent arrest will ultimately materialize.