There was drama on Monday as a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and Deputy National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, surrendered himself to the Department of State Security for questioning.
El-Rufai had on Friday refused to honour the invitation extended to him by the DSS over his comments on the 2015 general election.
He had said the elections could be violent.
Sequel to his failure to honour the invitation by the DSS, operatives of the Service stormed his house in Abuja to effect his arrest on Friday.
But this was frustrated by el-Rufai’s security men.
However, on Monday, the outspoken chieftain of the APC surrendered himself to the DSS.
He was accompanied to the DSS headquarters in Abuja by the Rivers State Governor, Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi; the gubernatorial candidate of the APC in the November 2013 Anambra State governorship election, Senator Chris Ngige; and his wife.
However, the DSS operatives refused to allow in Amaechi and Ngige, saying it was only el-Rufai that was invited for questioning.
El-Rufai in a tweet described the development as impunity.
And just when it appeared that the DSS was going to keep el-Rufai overnight, information filtered in late on Monday that he was allowed to go home eventually.
This could however not be independently confirmed.
Speaking to newsmen before leaving for the DSS headquarters in Abuja on Friday morning, el-Rufai had said that his comment about the possibility of violence erupting if next year’s general elections were rigged was based on Nigeria’s electoral history.
He said his comment was in line with his freedom of speech as enshrined in the amended 1999 Constitution.
He said: “The statement I made was based on historical fact because it happened in 1964, 1983, 2003, 2007 and 2011.
“We are ready to pursue the enforcement of our rights in the law court and in the court of public opinion.
“Whoever does anything against the law should face the consequences.”
Asked what he thought was responsible for the invitation by the DSS, he said he believed he was invited because of a legal action he filed challenging the decision of DSS operatives to detain him in his hotel room in Awka, the Anambra State capital, during the state’s governorship election.
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