Former Southeast spokesman for the APC Presidential Campaign Council and Chairman of the Forum of Former Members of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Denge Josef Onoh, has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the legal matter involving former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai. Campaigns& Elections
Onoh made the appeal in an open letter addressed to Tinubu and formally routed through the Office of the President’s Chief of Staff, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.
In the letter, Onoh called for reconciliation and consideration of El-Rufai’s circumstances, while highlighting what he described as the former governor’s contributions to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the 2023 presidential election campaign.
Onoh, who served as Southeast spokesman for Tinubu’s Presidential Campaign Council during the 2023 election, said El-Rufai played a significant role in the campaign and in mobilising support for the APC presidential candidate.
He also cited El-Rufai’s record in public office, including his tenure as governor of Kaduna State and his earlier service as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
According to Onoh, the former governor’s contributions to public life should be considered alongside the legal proceedings involving him.
He urged the President to consider reconciliation and other constitutional options available to the Federal Government in dealing with the matter.
Onoh referred to the constitutional powers of the President and the Attorney-General of the Federation, citing Sections 175 and 174 of the 1999 Constitution.
Section 175 provides for the President’s prerogative of mercy, including the power to grant pardons and remissions in specified circumstances, while Section 174 provides the Attorney-General of the Federation with powers in relation to the institution, continuation or discontinuation of criminal proceedings.
Onoh argued that exercising such constitutional powers, where legally applicable, could contribute to national reconciliation and political stability. Politics
He also cited historical examples of presidential clemency, including former President Shehu Shagari’s 1982 pardon of the late Biafran leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu.
According to Onoh, such examples demonstrate the role reconciliation can play in addressing longstanding political divisions.
He appealed to Tinubu to consider El-Rufai’s circumstances from the perspective of national unity and reconciliation.
Onoh said his appeal stemmed from his longstanding relationship with El-Rufai and his belief that political differences should not prevent dialogue or consideration of humanitarian concerns.
He said he hoped the President would give the appeal due consideration in the interest of national unity and stability.
