‘Keep El-Rufai In Jail Till You Win 2027 Election’ – Former Kaduna Senator Hunkuyi Tells Gov Uba Sani

Former Senator representing Kaduna North Senatorial District, Alhaji Suleiman Hunkuyi, has urged Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani to keep his predecessor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, incarcerated until after he secures victory in the 2027 governorship election.

Hunkuyi made the remark on Saturday in Zaria while Governor Sani received former senior officials and political allies of El-Rufai who had reportedly defected from his camp to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Among those received were Alhaji Bashir Saidu, El-Rufai’s former Chief of Staff, and Jafaru Sani, who served as Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Education and Environment under the former governor.

Bashir Saidu also served as Commissioner for Local Government Affairs and Commissioner for Finance before becoming El-Rufai’s Chief of Staff.

The reception was attended by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; former Kaduna State Governor Ramalan Yero; and other prominent political figures.

Hunkuyi, who currently serves as the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) commissioner representing the North-West, addressed Governor Sani during the event, making remarks that appeared to link El-Rufai’s continued incarceration to the governor’s political ambitions ahead of the 2027 election.

Speaking in a speech he said had to be delivered within two minutes, Hunkuyi first made a cryptic reference to the departure of El-Rufai’s political associates and their families from his camp.

“All I want to say is just two things, perhaps a little more, because I have been given two minutes,” he said.

“Then Malam Bashir should take note.

“They have taken away the children and the grandchildren.

“Let us ask, who did they leave behind—the short person who went with him? Please, for God’s sake…

“Who was he left with?

“We need to hear about this robbery.”

“Secondly, Your Excellency, the Governor. Almighty God has restrained the devils and chained them up during the month of Ramadan.

“In which month did you capture my elder brother? Please keep him for us. Hold him firmly and do not release him. Keep him securely…

“Do not release him.

“Wait until everything is completed.

“Until you receive your crown in your hands, then release him to us,” Hunkuyi said.

His reference to receiving the “crown” was interpreted in the context of the governor’s anticipated bid for re-election in 2027.

Hunkuyi concluded by praying for the success of the political alliance and urging those involved to work together to achieve their objectives.

“May Almighty God make it possible, for us to work together for the good, so that this journey we have embarked on will come together and reach its destination successfully.

“Almighty God, may we count our profits, deduct the principal, and set aside the profit,” he added.

El-Rufai has remained a prominent figure in the state’s political landscape following his departure from office.

El-Rufai supported Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2023 presidential bid as a prominent member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), but he later defected to the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) and faced detention by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over alleged corruption during his governorship tenure.

El-Rufai was a founding member of the APC and served as the Governor of Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023. He maintained a close political alliance with Tinubu and actively campaigned for his presidential election victory in 2023.

Despite initial alignment, including being nominated for a ministerial role that was later stalled in the Senate due to security clearances, El-Rufai distanced himself from the administration. By late 2025, he formally defected from the APC and aligned with the opposition ADC, frequently criticizing the federal government.

In February 2026, El-Rufai presented himself to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), after which he was transferred into the custody of the ICPC.

The ICPC launched investigations and filed multiple charges against him regarding his time as Kaduna governor for eight years. These include allegations of abuse of office, fraudulent light rail and CCTV contract awards running into billions of naira, and the disposal of World Bank loan funds.

While in custody, El-Rufai and his legal team invoked their constitutional right to silence, stating they would only answer to the allegations before a judicial tribunal rather than during administrative interrogations.

The ADC and El-Rufai’s family have publicly accused the federal government of utilizing anti-corruption agencies for political intimidation and prolonged detention ahead of the 2027 general elections, a claim dismissed by the ruling party and authorities who maintain that due legal process is being followed. (SaharaReporters)