Adeyanju Mockingly Rejects El-Rufai’s Persecution Claims, Says Airport Drama Is Just ‘Karma’ for Past Actions

The “State of Harmony” between former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and the security agencies he once commanded appears to have completely evaporated, replaced by a bitter public feud. Following a chaotic scene at the Abuja airport on Thursday, where security operatives seized El-Rufai’s passport, human rights activist Deji Adeyanju has fired a stinging rebuke, telling the former governor that he is facing “karma,” not a political witch-hunt.

Adeyanju’s comments on Friday came as a direct response to El-Rufai’s claims that the Tinubu administration is using the DSS and EFCC to “persecute” him for joining the opposition ADC. In a viral reaction, Adeyanju pointed out the irony of El-Rufai—who famously presided over the arrests of numerous critics like Chidi Odinkalu and the disappearance of activist Dadiyata now complaining about “executive overreach.”

“It is strange to hear claims of political persecution from a man whose administration was repeatedly accused of silencing dissent,” Adeyanju said during an interview. “Mallam Nasiru is actually very lucky; his critics didn’t get the luxury of a verbal confrontation or a legal statement from their lawyers. For him, this isn’t persecution—it’s the chickens coming home to roost.”

The drama reached a fever pitch on Friday when El-Rufai, appearing on national television, alleged that he had intercepted a phone call from NSA Nuhu Ribadu specifically directing operatives to “pick him up.” While El-Rufai’s supporters see this as proof of a state-sponsored plot, critics and presidential aides have countered that the former governor is merely a “drama artist” attempting to use sensationalism to avoid a legitimate corruption probe.

With his international passport currently in the hands of the DSS, El-Rufai remains grounded in Nigeria. His legal team has insisted he has “nothing to hide” and will honor a scheduled invitation from the EFCC this Monday. As the nation watches the “Accidental Public Servant” prepare for his date with the anti-graft agency, the debate remains: is this a genuine pursuit of accountability, or, as Adeyanju suggests, a heavy dose of political karma?