A support group for former Kaduna State governor Nasir el-Rufai has engaged a Washington, DC-based advocacy firm to run an international campaign around his ongoing corruption trial.
In a statement issued Tuesday, Mohammed Salihu, director of strategic partnership for the El-Rufai Support Group Association, said the group had retained Vanguard Africa to engage US government officials, members of Congress, pro-democracy institutions, and multilateral organisations on developments in El-Rufai's case.
El-Rufai has been in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission since February, over allegations of financial impropriety linked to his time as governor.
The group described el-Rufai as a prominent public servant whose career spanned roles as director-general of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, minister of the Federal Capital Territory, and governor of Kaduna State.
Salihu said growing concerns over his prolonged detention and delays in the judicial process prompted the move, framing the case as a symptom of a deeper crisis facing Nigeria's democratic institutions.
The group maintains that El-Rufai is innocent and is urging foreign governments and civil society organisations to monitor the case closely.
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 and was subsequently arraigned by the ICPC before the Kaduna High Court on an amended nine-count charge.
The latest lobbying push comes amid claims from his family that his rights have been violated in custody; allegations the ICPC has rejected, insisting it has acted within the law.
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