Batagarawa made the remark while reacting to allegations of phone-tapping and other claims currently linked to the former governor.
According to him, El-Rufai should be treated with fairness and granted the same legal rights as any other Nigerian citizen.
The ADC stalwart spoke on Thursday during a live interview on Trust TV.
Speaking during the programme, Batagarawa said:
“Like every other Nigerian, El-Rufai has the right to fair treatment under the law.
“But interpreting his statements as proof of guilt would be wrong. No one should be judged outside a competent court of law, and that is the position we are maintaining.
“El-Rufai must be accorded the full protection of the law. In this situation, due process does not appear to be properly followed. The process should be conducted openly, transparently and, above all, fairly.”
Meanwhile, Hadiza Isma, the wife of Nasir El-Rufai, has dismissed claims that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) discovered wiretapping devices in their residence.
The ICPC had earlier alleged that suspected surveillance and wiretapping equipment capable of intercepting confidential communications and accessing classified security information were recovered during a search of El-Rufai’s Abuja residence.
However, reacting through a post on , Hadiza insisted that the claim was false.
“I was there. No such equipment was found. They lie. But why? An agency with no credibility at all,” she wrote.