El-Rufai’s Bereavement: Northern Christian Youths Commend Tinubu, ICPC For Prioritising ‘Humanity Over Politics

By Abraham Olatunbosun—

A group of northern Christian youths has commended the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for granting former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, time to mourn and bury his late mother.

They described the decision as indicative of the leadership style of President Bola Tinubu.

In a press statement released on Saturday, the Northern Christian Youth Professionals said the Commission’s decision demonstrated compassion and respect for human dignity – values they believe continue to shape the Tinubu administration’s approach to governance.

The group noted that allowing El-Rufai to attend to family matters despite existing political disagreements with the President exemplifies “politics without bitterness,” where humanity takes precedence over partisan differences.

According to the statement, signed by its chairman, Isaac Abrak, the gesture sends a strong signal that leadership should be guided not only by authority and political interests, but also by empathy and understanding.

“The ICPC’s humane decision reflects a leadership disposition that prioritises compassion and respect for human dignity,” said Mr Abrak.

“It demonstrates that governance can be conducted with empathy, even amidst political disagreements.”

The group stressed the significance of this development given the well-known political differences between Mr Tinubu and Mr El-Rufai, arguing that the decision reinforces the President’s belief that political competition shouldn’t negate shared human values.

Mr Abrak said the move contrasts sharply with earlier periods in Nigeria’s political history, when leaders were accused of lacking compassion in similar circumstances.

He recalled that former President Muhammadu Buhari was reportedly prevented from attending his mother’s funeral while detained following the 1985 change of government led by Ibrahim Babangida – an incident that drew considerable public criticism at the time.

“Many Nigerians viewed that situation as indicative of a rigid leadership approach that placed limited emphasis on humanity,” the statement read.

The group argued that Mr Tinubu’s leadership has demonstrated that governance can be exercised with grace and empathy without compromising the rule of law.

They also emphasised that granting Mr El-Rufai time to mourn does not impede ongoing legal processes, stressing that investigations and judicial procedures should continue after the burial in accordance with the law.

“The pursuit of justice must remain steadfast,” Mr Abrak added, “but it shouldn’t come at the expense of compassion when a citizen is experiencing personal loss.”

The Northern Christian Youth Professionals urged leaders and institutions across Nigeria to adopt this balanced approach, upholding both humanity and ccountability.