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ADC Accuses ICPC of Using El-Rufai’s Detention to Intimidate Opposition
ADC says senior party officials were denied access to Nasir El-Rufai at the ICPC headquarters in Abuja amid concerns over his wellbeing.
The African Democratic Congress has alleged that the detention of former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai is part of an attempt to weaken opposition voices in Nigeria.
The party made the allegation on Friday after senior ADC officials were reportedly denied access to El-Rufai during a visit to the headquarters of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission in Abuja.
In a statement signed by the party’s spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said a delegation led by National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola, alongside Abdullahi and Salihu Lukman, was prevented from meeting the former governor while he remained in ICPC custody.
The party said concerns over El-Rufai’s treatment had intensified following claims by family members that he had been denied access to medical care, food, and visitors despite surrendering himself voluntarily to the authorities.
ADC further claimed that security presence increased at the commission’s office during the visit, alleging that three truckloads of armed police officers were deployed to the premises.
“It is deeply troubling that a simple request by senior party officials to visit a detained colleague was met, not with professionalism, but with a show of force more suited to the suppression of civil unrest,” the party said.
The opposition party insisted its members remained orderly throughout the visit and did not attempt to provoke confrontation.
“What we are witnessing increasingly appears to be punishment by process, intimidation through isolation, and an attempt to break the spirit of a leading opposition figure,” the statement added.
According to the ADC, Aregbesola had previously written to the ICPC Chairman, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, requesting permission to see El-Rufai due to concerns over his health and wellbeing.
The party also referenced allegations by Hajiya Asia El-Rufai, who reportedly claimed that her husband was denied access to his doctor and prevented from receiving food while in detention.
Although the ICPC has denied the allegations and maintained that proper procedures were being followed, the ADC argued that continued restrictions on access were deepening suspicion about the circumstances surrounding El-Rufai’s detention.
“Let it be clear: Mallam Nasir El-Rufai is not a fugitive. He voluntarily submitted himself to the authorities. Under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he is entitled to dignity, medical care, family access, and fair treatment under the law,” the party stated.
The ADC called for unrestricted access to the former governor by his family, legal team, doctors, and associates, warning that any further limitations would reinforce public concerns about political persecution.
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