In a recent article published by The Sun on 26th of March, 2026, former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, took a swipe at ex-Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, over his decision to voluntarily present himself to security operatives, warning that the move was a grave strategic error that may work against him.
Dalung, speaking in reaction to El-Rufai’s detention, argued that the former governor handed authorities an opportunity they had struggled to create on their own. He revealed that operatives had made an earlier attempt to apprehend El-Rufai at the airport but abandoned the move, apparently over concerns that proceeding could inflame public tensions.
According to Dalung, the voluntary surrender shifted the balance of power firmly in favour of the government, leaving El-Rufai exposed without the buffer of public sympathy that a forced arrest might have generated.
Most damning, however, was Dalung’s assertion about the flimsiness of the case against the former governor. He alleged that security agencies held El-Rufai without any clearly defined offence to anchor his detention.
He stated: “They got him into custody but they didn’t have charges; they started shopping for offences.”