Former South-East spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, Denge Josef Onoh, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to consider presidential intervention in the legal battles involving former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
Onoh made the appeal in a letter dated September 24 and addressed to Tinubu through the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The Chairman of the Forum of Former Members of the Enugu State House of Assembly urged the President to balance justice with statesmanship and consider reconciliation in dealing with El-Rufai’s legal predicament.
El-Rufai is currently facing an amended five-count charge filed by the Department of State Services over alleged unlawful interception of telephone communications linked to National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu. He pleaded not guilty to the charges, while the Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed October 26 to rule on his no-case submission.
The former governor is also challenging the search of his Abuja residence by operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the police in a N1bn fundamental rights suit. The Federal High Court has fixed October 27 for definite hearing of the case after the Attorney-General of the Federation filed a counter-affidavit opposing his claims.
In his letter, Onoh described El-Rufai as a difficult but committed political associate whose rigid and strongly opinionated character, in his assessment, had also contributed to his loyalty when he committed himself to a cause or individual.
He recalled El-Rufai’s role in the APC’s 2023 presidential campaign, saying his structural mobilisation and advocacy contributed to Tinubu’s victory. Onoh noted that he served as the South-East spokesman of the Tinubu Presidential Campaign Council during the election.
He also pointed to El-Rufai’s public service record, including his role in the modernisation of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and his administration of Kaduna State, while acknowledging that some of his methods had generated controversy.
Onoh expressed concern that friends and associates of the former governor had distanced themselves from him because of political interests, describing them as fair-weather friends.
He said he would not remain silent because of political considerations or potential rewards, stressing that El-Rufai remained a friend whose contributions to nation-building he respected.
Onoh warned that political power was temporary and argued that those enjoying freedom and influence today could find themselves facing adversity tomorrow. He therefore called for fairness and empathy in dealing with political opponents and former allies.
To strengthen his appeal, Onoh invoked historical examples of clemency, including Julius Caesar’s use of Clementia, which he described as the granting of mercy to political adversaries and estranged allies.
He also cited former President Shehu Shagari’s 1982 pardon of the late Biafran leader, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, as an example of political reconciliation.
Onoh said Shagari’s action helped heal divisions left by the civil war and reintegrate Ojukwu into the national political space. He compared El-Rufai’s present situation to that of Ojukwu, describing both as influential and polarising figures whose circumstances could have implications for national cohesion.
The former APC campaign spokesman also referred Tinubu to Sections 174 and 175 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
He argued that Section 175 gives the President the prerogative of mercy to grant a pardon, respite or remission of punishment, while Section 174 gives the Attorney-General of the Federation the power to enter a nolle prosequi and discontinue criminal proceedings before judgment.
Onoh said the constitutional provisions could provide avenues for intervention in El-Rufai’s case, arguing that their use would demonstrate political maturity rather than weakness.
He warned that continued confinement of a former ally and what he described as a key architect of the political coalition that produced the current administration could deepen political divisions at a time when Nigeria needs stability and unity.
Onoh appealed to Tinubu to draw on his own experience of political adversity and success and make reconciliation and compassion central to his response to El-Rufai’s situation.
He said history should record that when a difficult but dedicated political figure faced adversity, Tinubu chose reconciliation over retribution and compassion over confinement.
Onoh ended the letter by thanking the President for his service to Nigeria and asking for divine guidance for Tinubu and the country.
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