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By Oscar Okhifo
Former Sokoto State Governor and current Senator representing Sokoto South, Aminu Tambuwal, has waded into the controversy surrounding the police invitation extended to ex-Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, urging him to honour the summons.
Tambuwal, who also served as Speaker of the House of Representatives, said El-Rufai had no excuse to disregard the invitation, stressing that compliance with constitutional institutions was a test of true statesmanship.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Tambuwal declared:
“If I am invited today by the police on an investigation, I will appear. Whoever is invited by a constitutional authority should appear. The interpretation and reading of meaning into the invitation is a different ball game altogether.”
His intervention comes amid mounting political heat in Kaduna, where the State Police Command has summoned El-Rufai and several African Democratic Congress (ADC) leaders to appear before the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) on September 8, 2025.
The invitation, signed by Deputy Commissioner of Police (CID) Uzairu Abdullahi, followed violent clashes during the ADC transition committee inauguration in Kaduna, where suspected thugs attacked participants with stones and machetes, leaving many injured and property damaged.
Others listed in the summons include Bashir Sa’idu, Jafaru Sani, Ubaidullah Mohammed (“30”), Nasiru Maikano, Aminu Abita, and Ahmed Rufa’i Hussaini (“Mikiya”). They are being investigated for alleged criminal conspiracy, incitement of public disturbance, mischief, and causing grievous hurt.
The ADC has accused the police of complicity and negligence during the attack, alleging a broader attempt to muzzle opposition voices in Kaduna. But Tambuwal maintained that El-Rufai and his allies must demonstrate respect for the law by appearing before investigators, while also warning the police not to overreach in ways that could aggravate the state’s already volatile political atmosphere.
Political observers see the development as more than a routine police investigation, but rather as a test of El-Rufai’s political strength outside government and an early sign of the battles that may define Kaduna’s politics ahead of 2027.