‘El-Rufai’s detention attempt to break opposition spirit’ — ADC

By Luminous Jannamike, ABUJA

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, on Friday accused the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, of blocking access to former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai after senior leaders of the party were denied access to him at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

The opposition party said the restrictions surrounding El-Rufai’s detention were raising fresh concerns about political persecution, especially following claims by members of his family that he had been denied access to doctors, food and visitors despite voluntarily presenting himself to the authorities.

The allegations were contained in a statement by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, after a delegation led by the ADC National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, alongside Abdullahi and Secretary of the ADC Policy and Manifesto Committee, Salihu Lukman, visited the ICPC headquarters but was allegedly refused access to the former governor, who remains in the custody of the anti-graft agency.

ADC also alleged that tension rose at the Commission’s headquarters while its delegation waited for a response to its request, claiming 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 added.

The party maintained that members of its delegation remained peaceful throughout the visit and neither threatened disorder nor mobilised supporters to the facility.

ADC said, “At no point did members of our delegation threaten disorder, incite confrontation, or mobilise supporters to the premises. Yet the response of the state suggested panic, fear, and an attempt to intimidate not only our party leaders but also any Nigerian who may dare to question the treatment being meted out to opposition figures.

“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.”

According to the statement, Aregbesola had earlier written formally to the Chairman of the ICPC, Dr Musa Adamu Aliyu, requesting visitation rights to El-Rufai following growing concerns over his wellbeing.

The opposition party said members of the former governor’s family had also complained that even court-ordered medical access was allegedly being frustrated through alleged administrative obstruction and arbitrary protocols.

“Only days ago, Hajiya Asia El-Rufai publicly alleged that her husband was denied access to his doctor and that she was prevented from delivering food to him while in custody after arriving at the facility in the evening,” Abdullahi said.

While acknowledging that the ICPC had denied the allegations and maintained that due process was being followed, ADC said the refusal to grant access to El-Rufai was fuelling suspicion over the nature of his 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 said.

The ADC demanded immediate and unrestricted access to El-Rufai by his family, doctors, lawyers and political associates, warning that anything less would further strengthen public perception that state institutions were being used against opposition voices.

“The ADC will not stand by and watch one of its leaders subjected to this pattern of harassment and calculated humiliation. Nigeria is watching. The international community is watching. The world is watching,” the party added.

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