Fresh political tension appears to be brewing at the Presidential Villa. President Bola Tinubu on Friday held a closed-door meeting with top government officials.
The high-level discussion came just hours after reports emerged of an alleged attempt to arrest former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Present at the meeting were the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, Kaduna State Governor Senator Uba Sani, and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. The development has drawn attention across political circles.
The Tinubu closed-door meeting followed claims that security operatives attempted to detain el-Rufai upon his return from Cairo on Thursday.
Officers of the Department of State Services and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission were reportedly involved. However, no official statement has been issued by the agencies.
Sources close to el-Rufai alleged that the move was made without a formal warrant or prior invitation.
Moreover, it was claimed that his international passport was briefly seized. That allegation has not been confirmed by authorities.
El-Rufai, once a key ally of President Tinubu, has become one of his sharpest critics. He was dropped as a ministerial nominee after the 2023 elections. Since then, he has openly opposed the administration and vowed to prevent a second term bid.
Although it remains unclear whether the airport incident was discussed during the Tinubu closed-door meeting.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu also met with other key figures. Among them were the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq. In addition, Benue State Governor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia and the CEO of God is Good Motors, Chidi Ajaere, were seen at the Villa.
Interestingly, the Kwara governor left alongside the National Security Adviser. The Benue governor, however, declined to speak with journalists after his meeting.
The Presidency has remained silent about the outcome of the deliberations. Furthermore, no official briefing has been provided as of press time.
