The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has raised concerns over the continued refusal by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to allow party leaders, family members, and doctors to visit the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, who is in detention.
In a statement issued on Friday evening by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said its leaders were denied access to El-Rufai at the ICPC headquarters in Abuja despite prior notification.
Abdullahi said the visit was made alongside the National Secretary of the party, Rauf Aregbesola, and the Secretary of the ADC Policy and Manifesto Committee, Salihu Lukman.
He expressed disappointment over what he described as a lack of professionalism by ICPC personnel.
“Earlier today, alongside the national secretary of our party, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and the Secretary of the ADC Policy and Manifesto Committee, Mallam Salihu Lukman, we visited the headquarters of the ICPC in Abuja to see Mallam El-Rufai. Despite prior communication and formal requests, we were denied access without any reasonable explanation,” he said.
Abdullahi further alleged that the situation escalated after armed police personnel were deployed in large numbers at the ICPC premises while the delegation was present.
He said the deployment created an atmosphere of tension and gave the impression of intimidation against opposition figures.
“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,” he added.
He maintained that the delegation did not threaten disorder or mobilise supporters, insisting that the response was unnecessary and suggestive of state intimidation.
The ADC spokesperson also argued that El-Rufai, who he said had been granted bail, is not a fugitive and should not be subjected to restrictions that violate his rights to dignity, medical care, and access to family and legal representatives.
He added that the party had earlier written to the ICPC Chairman, Musa Adamu Aliyu, requesting visitation rights in view of concerns about El-Rufai’s wellbeing and access to medical care.
“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,” Abdullahi said.
The party called on the ICPC to immediately grant unrestricted access to El-Rufai for his family, doctors, lawyers, and political associates, warning that failure to do so would raise further concerns about the use of state institutions against opposition figures.
