Kenneth Okonkwo has said President Bola Tinubu is fighting former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, because he joined the African Democratic Congress, ADC.
Okonkwo made this statement on Friday on ‘The Morning Brief’, a programme on Channels Television.
The Nollywood veteran-turned politician was speaking on the detention of El-Rufai, stressing that the Federal Government does have the power to keep anyone in detention beyond 48 hours.
He said, “We believe that El-Rufai is being maltreated and persecuted because he had joined the ADC. We are not exculpating anybody, but it is the court of law that should decide, not President Tinubu.
“And for now, he is using his authority as the Commander-in-Chief to use the instrumentality of the ‘anti corruption’ against the opposition. I wonder whether there is any commission fighting corruption in Tinubu’s regime
“The first thing President Bola Tinubu should do is to release El-Rufai. We are not saying he should not face trial but his fundamental human right should be guaranteed.
“Forty-eight hours is what a government has to keep anybody in detention without granting him bail. No, you don’t have that power. And you don’t have the power according to the Supreme Court judgment to keep somebody in detention and pretend you are investigating.
“The whole idea of arrest is that you have concluded your investigation and you have found the person culpable for any crime you are alleging he committed.
“That somebody said anything does not give you the right to go and arrest somebody, because in criminal proceeding, it is the duty of the prosecution to prove the guilt of the suspect, not the suspect to defend his innocence.”
Tinubu fighting El-Rufai because he joined ADC – Kenneth Okonkwo
