Former Kaduna North Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi has stirred controversy with a remark suggesting that Governor Uba Sani should keep his predecessor, Nasir El-Rufai, in detention until he secures re-election in 2027.
Hunkuyi made the statement on Saturday in Zaria during a political reception organised for former members of El-Rufai’s camp who have reportedly moved to the All Progressives Congress (APC), turning what was meant to showcase political realignment into an event marked by a pointed reference to the former governor’s continued detention.
Addressing Sani, Hunkuyi urged him not to release El-Rufai until he had secured his political future, using the metaphor of a crown to link the former governor’s custody with the incumbent’s anticipated re-election bid.
“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.
The remark, delivered in the presence of senior political figures, immediately drew attention to the increasingly bitter struggle over Kaduna’s political future as the 2027 governorship election approaches.
Hunkuyi, who represents the North-West in the National Assembly Service Commission, had begun his address by referring cryptically to the departure of El-Rufai’s former associates and their families from his political camp.
“All I want to say is just two things, perhaps a little more, because I have been given two minutes,” he said before making a remark about who had been left behind following the reported defections.
“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,” he added.
The political gathering was attended by Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, former Kaduna Governor Ramalan Yero and other prominent figures.
Among those received by Sani were 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 administration. Saidu also previously held the finance and local government portfolios.
Their reported movement into the APC camp provides a fresh indication of the political repositioning taking place in Kaduna ahead of the next election, with former allies shifting loyalties while El-Rufai remains in the custody of anti-corruption authorities.
El-Rufai governed Kaduna State from 2015 to 2023 and was a founding member of the APC. He was also a prominent supporter of President Bola Tinubu’s 2023 presidential campaign before falling out with the ruling political establishment and eventually aligning with the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The former governor presented himself to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in February 2026 and was subsequently transferred to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), which has investigated allegations arising from his eight years in office.
The allegations reportedly include abuse of office, irregularities surrounding major light rail and CCTV contracts, and the handling of World Bank loan funds. They remain allegations to be determined through the legal process.
El-Rufai and his legal team have maintained that he would exercise his right to silence during administrative interrogations and answer the allegations before a judicial tribunal. His family and the ADC have also accused the Federal Government of using anti-corruption agencies to intimidate political opponents ahead of the 2027 elections. The authorities and ruling party have rejected claims of political persecution, insisting that due process is being followed.
Against this backdrop, Hunkuyi’s appeal to Sani has added a striking political dimension to the former governor’s detention. His choice of words appeared to frame El-Rufai’s release not simply as a legal question but as an event to be postponed until the incumbent had secured another electoral victory.
Hunkuyi ended his address with a prayer for the success of the emerging political alliance, expressing hope that those involved would work together and reap the benefits of their political undertaking.
