Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has urged Nigeria to move away from what he described as persistent executive excesses and disregard for the rule of law, following an alleged confrontation with security personnel at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

El-Rufai made his position known in a statement shared on his X account on Thursday, revealing that his legal team had criticised what they termed an unlawful attempt to detain him upon his arrival in the country.

According to him, his lawyers released a statement condemning what they characterised as an illegal effort to arrest him at the Abuja airport shortly after he returned from Cairo. He stressed that the country must progress beyond practices that undermine constitutional governance and due process.

His legal representatives, Ubong Akpan Chambers, explained that the incident occurred Thursday afternoon when El-Rufai arrived aboard Egypt Air flight MS 877 from Cairo. The firm described the episode as a serious breach of constitutional protections, accusing authorities of overstepping their powers and ignoring established legal procedures.

The lawyers disclosed that while El-Rufai was outside the country, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had delivered an invitation letter to his residence, requesting his appearance. They argued that expecting him to respond immediately while abroad was unreasonable. The chambers said they had officially informed the EFCC that El-Rufai would honour the invitation voluntarily upon his return, proposing Monday, February 16, 2026, at 10 a.m. as the agreed time.

Despite this communication, the legal team alleged that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) attempted to apprehend him at the airport without presenting any warrant or formal letter of invitation. They further claimed that his international passport was forcefully seized from one of his aides during the encounter.

The statement noted that when El-Rufai requested to see the official invitation — which they described as a basic legal right — none was provided. According to the lawyers, no written directive or lawful authorisation was shown, only what they portrayed as an exercise of unchecked authority.

The chambers maintained that the attempted detention infringed on several constitutional rights, including personal liberty, fair hearing, dignity of the person, freedom of movement, and property rights. They called for an immediate halt to what they described as unlawful efforts to detain him, the prompt return of his passport, and a formal apology for the alleged violation of his rights.

El-Rufai’s media aide, Muyiwa Adekeye, supported the account, stating that security officials sought to take the former governor into custody upon arrival, but that he declined to comply in the absence of proper documentation or a valid warrant.

The incident reportedly occurred less than a day after El-Rufai publicly suggested he might become a target amid what he described as increasing pressure on opposition figures. As of the time of reporting, security agencies had not released an official response regarding the alleged airport standoff.