- The ICPC has declared it remains completely unbothered by the El-Rufai Support Group Association’s decision to hire a Washington DC advocacy firm to lobby the US government over the ex-governor’s continuous detention.
- Commission spokesperson John Odey clarified that Nasir El-Rufai is being held under legitimate judicial remand warrants rather than arbitrary executive decrees, dismissing all allegations of political victimization.
- The former Kaduna State Governor is facing separate criminal trials, with the ICPC prosecuting him for alleged multi-billion naira abuse of office, while the DSS prosecutes him for wiretapping the National Security Adviser.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on Wednesday issued a firm response following international maneuvers by loyalists of the detained former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the anti-graft agency stated that it remains completely unfazed by the news that the El-Rufai Support Group Association (ERSGA) has hired Vanguard Africa, a prominent Washington DC-based international advocacy and lobbying firm, to launch a massive diplomatic campaign in the United States against the Nigerian government.
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The commission emphasized that its investigative and prosecutorial operations are driven strictly by statutory anti-corruption laws rather than political calculations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking officially on the development, the spokesperson for the ICPC, John Odey, maintained that the agency is operating fully within its legal mandate and will not be intimidated by foreign public relations campaigns.
Reacting to claims by El-Rufai’s support group that the administrative rule of law is being eroded, Odey clarified that the former governor’s custody is supported by valid, court-sanctioned remand orders.
He added that the commission is an independent law enforcement body guided exclusively by the ICPC Act, which requires the prosecution of any individual linked to public sector infractions regardless of their social status, bureaucratic rank, or political affiliations.
The international lobbying strategy came to light after official regulatory filings with the United States Department of State revealed that ERSGA had formally retained Vanguard Africa to execute a targeted outreach program.
The firm is tasked with coordinating high-level briefings with officials of the US administration, members of Congress, pro-democracy institutions, and multilateral stakeholders to highlight alleged procedural irregularities in El-Rufai’s case.
According to the association’s representative, Mohammed Salihu, the former governor has been held in custody since mid-February 2026 due to repeated bail hearing delays, which the group describes as a weaponization of judicial processes to sideline prominent opposition figures before the next election cycle.
However, the legal troubles mounting against the former minister extend well beyond financial audits. The ICPC is actively prosecuting El-Rufai over severe allegations of fraud, financial impropriety, and systemic abuse of office during his eight-year tenure as Kaduna State Governor.
Concurrently, he is facing a separate federal prosecution by the Department of State Services (DSS) over allegations regarding the unauthorized wiretapping of communication lines belonging to the National Security Adviser (NSA).
The ICPC reiterated that it will continue to present its evidence before the courts, urging international observers and civil society organizations to focus on the objective legal facts of the indictment rather than political narratives.
