Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has alleged that the All Progressives Congress is behind efforts to secure proposed United States sanctions against Rabiu Kwankwaso.
El-Rufai alleged that attempts to include Kwankwaso’s name in a proposed U.S. sanctions framework were politically motivated and linked to the former Kano State governor’s refusal to defect to the ruling party.
He argued that the development was not driven by accountability concerns but rather represented calculated political pressure aimed at weakening opposition figures.
Speaking during a Friday interview on Arise Television, El-Rufai maintained that influential actors within the APC may have played a role in the process that led to Kwankwaso being referenced in a draft U.S. legislative proposal addressing religious freedom issues in Nigeria.
The former governor questioned what he described as selective targeting, noting that similar religious policies had been implemented in several northern states without attracting comparable scrutiny.
He further suggested that international lobbying may have influenced the trajectory of the proposed measure, raising concerns about the exportation of domestic political rivalries into foreign legislative processes.
According to him, such actions reflect a broader pattern of political intimidation against opposition leaders who resist alignment with the ruling establishment.
The controversy centres on a proposed U.S. bill reportedly focused on religious freedom violations, which could include visa bans and other sanctions against individuals deemed responsible for infractions.
However, Kwankwaso’s allies have dismissed the allegations linked to the proposal, describing them as politically motivated and lacking substantive evidence.
