Pro-El-Rufai Group Retains US Lobbying Firm Amid Ongoing ICPC Trial

A support coalition for the former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has formally engaged a United States-based international advocacy and lobbying firm to mount an international campaign regarding his ongoing trial in Nigeria.

The El-Rufai Support Group Association (ERSGA) announced on Wednesday that it has retained Vanguard Africa, a Washington D.C.-based firm, to coordinate outreach to officials within the U.S. administration, members of Congress, pro-democracy institutions, and multilateral stakeholders.

According to regulatory filings published by the U.S. Department of State, the advocacy campaign will focus heavily on the former governor’s current legal issues, which the group claims represent a broader erosion of due process and the rule of law ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The lobbying push comes amidst a prolonged anti-corruption case spearheaded by Nigerian federal investigators. Former Governor El-Rufai is currently being prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over allegations of abuse of office, financial impropriety, and fraud during his gubernatorial tenure. He has remained in detention since mid-February 2026, with his legal team reporting consecutive delays in his scheduled bail hearings.

The support group has strongly rejected the ICPC’s allegations, maintaining El-Rufai’s innocence while alleging procedural irregularities in his detention.

Speaking on behalf of the association, Mohammed Salihu stated that the international outreach is aimed at drawing global attention to the weaponization of legal mechanisms against political opposition figures. The group warned that using state institutions to sideline key political players could undermine the credibility of upcoming democratic cycles.

While federal anti-corruption agencies maintain that the case is a standard legal prosecution targeting financial misconduct, the involvement of a Washington lobbying firm signals an attempt by El-Rufai’s allies to pressure the Nigerian government through international diplomatic and civil society channels.