By Myke Uzendu, Abuja
The Coalition Political Action Committee (COPAC) has called on the Federal Government to either file formal charges against former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, or release him immediately following the expiration of a 14-day remand order obtained by investigators.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday and signed by its convener, Aminu Datti-Ahmed, the group warned that the rule of law in Nigeria must not be undermined for political convenience.
According to COPAC, the remand order granted by a court was meant solely to allow investigators conclude their work within a specific constitutional timeframe and should not be used to justify indefinite detention or what it described as “procedural manipulation and political theatre.”
The group cited Section 35 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which guarantees the liberty of citizens, noting that investigative detention must be temporary and must lead within a reasonable time to either formal charges before a competent court or the immediate release of the detainee.
“Now that the 14-day remand order has expired, the Federal Government must either file charges against El-Rufai before a court of law or release him immediately,” the statement said, warning that any action outside those options would be illegal, unconstitutional and a violation of the rights guaranteed to Nigerian citizens.
COPAC also argued that prolonged detention without charges would contradict Nigeria’s obligations under international human rights frameworks, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which prohibit arbitrary arrest and detention.
The group expressed concern over what it described as a growing pattern in which state institutions deploy investigative powers against political actors in a manner that raises questions about selectivity, timing and motive.
It further criticised the silence of opposition leaders over the matter, describing it as “dangerous and irresponsible.”
COPAC therefore urged prominent opposition figures, including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Rotimi Amaechi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, to speak out against what it called attempts to harass or intimidate opposition politicians.
The group warned that the issue goes beyond El-Rufai personally and touches on the broader principle of equality before the law.
“This is not about El-Rufai. It is about ensuring that the rule of law does not become a selective weapon used against those who fall out of favour with those in power,” the statement said.
Reiterating its position, COPAC maintained that Nigeria remains a constitutional democracy and not a police state, stressing that the Constitution must be respected in the handling of the case.
