By Ghazali Ibrahim
Human rights lawyer and Chocolate City chairman, Audu Maikori, has sharply criticised former Kaduna State governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai over his recent comments condemning unlawful detentions in Nigeria, accusing him of hypocrisy and “sour grapes.”
Maikori’s reaction followed a statement by El-Rufai, in which the former governor warned that the growing culture of unlawful detention in Nigeria undermines democracy and erodes public trust in government.
El-Rufai made the remarks while commenting on the state of democracy and civil liberties in the country.
In a strongly worded post on X on Tuesday, Maikori reminded El-Rufai that both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal had ruled that his arrest and detention in February and March 2017, during El-Rufai’s tenure as governor, were illegal. He questioned El-Rufai’s moral authority to speak on abductions and unlawful detention given that history.
“Imagine elrufai of all people speaking about abductions when both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal ruled that your abduction of me in February and March of 2017 was illegal,” Maikori wrote.
He further alleged that his only “crime” at the time was speaking out against what he described as El-Rufai’s failure to safeguard lives in Kaduna State and his perceived bias against Southern Kaduna communities.
Maikori accused the former governor of being motivated by personal disappointment, suggesting that El-Rufai’s criticism of the current government stemmed from not securing a ministerial appointment.
“This statement is sour grapes,” Maikori added, claiming that El-Rufai would have praised the same government he now criticises if he had been appointed to office.
