Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, has said that Mallam Nasir El-Rufai of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) made a “serious mistake” by surrendering to security agencies.
Dalung suggested that the Nigerian government fears the former Kaduna State governor, a factor he believes contributed to his arrest and detention.
In an interview with Trust TV, Dalung added that authorities had initially attempted to apprehend El-Rufai at the airport but were unsuccessful.
He said: “The government is really afraid of El-Rufai, which is why they believed he might take some action, so they decided to arrest him.”
The former minister said they understood that trying to catch El-Rufai could cause an uprising.
“El-Rufai chose to minimize his role and give himself up, which was the biggest mistake he made as a fellow member.
“Comrades don’t surrender. If you give up during a fight, you will end up feeling ashamed. It’s an established principle in struggle. When they strive to achieve something, they become very careful,” he said.