The African Democratic Congress on Friday accused the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission of preventing senior party leaders from having access to former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai at its headquarters in Abuja.
According to the opposition party, concerns over El-Rufai’s detention have intensified amid claims from his family that he has been denied access to doctors, food, and visitors, despite voluntarily turning himself in to authorities.
In a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said a delegation led by National Secretary Rauf Aregbesola, alongside Abdullahi and Secretary of the Policy and Manifesto Committee Salihu Lukman, visited the ICPC headquarters but was allegedly denied access to the former governor, who remains in custody.
The party further alleged that tensions escalated during the visit while its delegation waited for a response, claiming that three truckloads of armed police officers were deployed around 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 ADC insisted its delegation remained peaceful throughout the visit, stressing that no actions were taken to provoke confrontation or mobilise supporters.
The statement read, “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.”
The party also noted that Aregbesola had earlier sent a formal request to the ICPC Chairman, Musa Adamu Aliyu, seeking permission to visit El-Rufai following growing concerns about his welfare.
ADC further cited complaints from members of El-Rufai’s family, alleging that court-approved medical access had been obstructed through administrative restrictions and strict 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 ICPC’s denial of the allegations and its insistence that due process is being followed, the ADC maintained that restricting access to El-Rufai was fueling suspicion about how he is being treated in custody.
“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 for El-Rufai’s family, lawyers, doctors, and political associates, warning that continued denial would reinforce public perception of political intimidation.
“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.
