BREAKING: El-Rufai supporters take case to Washington, engage lobbying firm
A support group backing former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has engaged a United States-based advocacy firm to lead an international campaign over his ongoing trial by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The El-Rufai Support Group Association (ERSGA) said it had retained Vanguard Africa, a Washington DC-based organisation, to engage policymakers, democracy advocates, and international stakeholders on developments surrounding the prosecution of the former governor.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by its Director of Strategic Partnership, Mohammed Salihu, ERSGA expressed concern over what it described as prolonged detention and delays in the judicial process, arguing that the case raises broader questions about due process and the independence of public institutions.
“The treatment of Governor El-Rufai is not an isolated incident — it is a symptom of a deeper crisis threatening Nigeria’s democratic institutions,” Salihu said, adding that the international community has a responsibility to speak out when due process is allegedly undermined for political purposes.
El-Rufai has been in ICPC custody since February over allegations of financial impropriety linked to his tenure as governor of Kaduna State. The group said the advocacy effort would involve outreach to officials of the US government, members of Congress, pro-democracy institutions, and multilateral organisations.
The association maintained that the former governor is innocent of the allegations against him and described the case as a significant test of Nigeria’s commitment to the rule of law as political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections gather momentum.
ERSGA also called on foreign governments, democratic institutions, and civil society organisations to closely monitor developments and support efforts aimed at safeguarding judicial independence and democratic freedoms in Nigeria.
El-Rufai was indicted by the Kaduna State House of Assembly in 2024 over the alleged diversion of N423 billion in public funds and money laundering, leading to his arraignment before a Kaduna High Court on an amended nine-count charge bordering on alleged fraud and abuse of office. The ICPC has denied allegations of rights violations, insisting that it has acted within the law.
