Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Thursday night paid a solidarity visit to former Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai at his Abuja residence, following a dramatic and unsuccessful attempt by security operatives to arrest him upon arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport earlier that day.In a post on X (formerly Twitter) shared on Friday morning, Atiku described the incident as a "failed attempt by the partisan ICPC", referring to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to detain El-Rufai. He labeled the agency's actions as politically motivated and condemned what he sees as an abuse of anti-corruption institutions for partisan purposes.The visit came hours after the airport confrontation, where El-Rufai, now a key figure in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) reportedly resisted arrest by operatives allegedly acting on ICPC instructions. His legal team and aides claimed the attempt was unlawful, lacking a warrant, and involved the seizure of his international passport. El-Rufai has accused National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu of orchestrating the move, alleging the ICPC enlisted the Department of State Services (DSS) without prior invitation or due process.Atiku, who shared photos and video footage from the meeting, emphasized support for El-Rufai amid what he called an "embarrassment" orchestrated against a prominent opposition voice.
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