By Tijjani Isa
Comments coming out of South West over the likely murder of El Rufai by ICPC by denying him food and medicine is appalling.
I concede not all Yorubas subscribe to their views, albeit, they say: “others have died in detention, and nothing to it if El Rufai goes the same way” (sum total of words to the effect).
To give meat to this claim, they remind us that MKO Abiola “died in detention in 1998 and nothing happened”, they macabrely claim. A very uncompassionable tribute, if that is what it purports to be, to a great leader that Abiola was.
But let us look at this comparison.
Abiola was detained by the Abacha government to protect the country from descending into chaos because, according to it, he was in breach of a military government order that the election he was on his way to winning was annulled thereby making it illegal for anyone, foremost him, laying claim to it.
And we all know how the military operates.
Yet he was not denied his basic needs.
During that detention period, he neither was denied medical care from his personal physician(s) nor foods of his choice from his wives. No record to the contrary has been established so far; not even from NADECO which purported to establish itself as the foremost vanguard for his “mandate” and freedom.
Twenty-eight years later, we are living witnesses to a reverse behavior not from an Abacha but a sworn adversary of his.
A fighter for democratic order who now ironically is looking the other way while an opposition figure in El Rufai is being systematically and slowly killed while in detention, not for treason but alleged financial crime.
I believe this is the difference between Abiola and El Rufai, and I bet if the Bashorun were alive he would disown anyone justifying the incarceration of, not only El Rufai but, all political opposition.
He would surely curse all those who compare and (gloat over) the misfortunes of El Rufai to his person.
Let common sense prevail he would insist.
