Bashir El-Rufai Insists Peter Obi Ordered His Father’s 2013 Arrest

Bashir El-Rufai, son of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has weighed in on the resurfaced controversy surrounding his father’s arrest during the 2013 Anambra governorship election.

This comes after activist Aisha Yesufu appeared on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday, July 21, 2025, where she clarified that El-Rufai was detained by the Department of State Services (DSS) — and not on the orders of then-Governor Peter Obi.

Yesufu stated that attributing the arrest to Obi was misleading, noting there was no directive from the Anambra governor at the time. She emphasized that the action was solely taken by security operatives based on internal assessments.

The discussion was reignited following comments by Edo State’s Commissioner for Information, Paul Ohonbamu, who cited the 2013 incident to support Governor Monday Okpebholo’s warning for Peter Obi to stay out of Edo State matters.

In response, Bashir El-Rufai dismissed the clarification and maintained that Obi was responsible for the incident. Quoting a post on the matter, he wrote: “He did & he is forgiven.”

The arrest in question occurred in November 2013, when El-Rufai — then an APC chieftain — was in Anambra to monitor the election. He was detained by DSS officers at his hotel in Awka, with the agency citing “security concerns.” El-Rufai, however, insisted at the time that his detention was politically motivated.