The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Federal Government of using politics rather than the rule of law in the continued detention of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, warning that President Bola Tinubu’s administration should be held responsible if anything happens to him while in custody.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, made the remarks during an interview on Symfoni TV, where he alleged that El-Rufai’s detention was politically motivated and aimed at weakening the opposition ahead of the 2027 general election.
According to Abdullahi, the former governor has not been convicted of any offence and should be allowed to face the judicial process rather than remain in prolonged detention.
“If anything happens to El-Rufai while he remains in state custody, President Bola Tinubu and his administration will bear full responsibility,” he said.
Abdullahi argued that the issue was not about crime or justice but about politics, insisting that only a competent court has the authority to determine El-Rufai’s guilt or innocence.
“El-Rufai is not being held today because he committed any crime. That would have been left for the court to decide. Let the court pronounce that he is guilty or not guilty,” he said.
He further alleged that the continued detention of the former Kaduna governor was intended to prevent him from actively participating in opposition politics and the build-up to the 2027 elections.
“To continue to hold him indefinitely speaks to something else. It is clear to us that the intention of this APC government is to continue to hold El-Rufai to ensure that he does not participate in this election and strengthen the opposition. That is exactly what they plan to do,” Abdullahi stated.
The ADC spokesman also recalled El-Rufai’s role in the emergence of President Tinubu, claiming the former governor was among those who strongly supported Tinubu’s presidential ambition despite opposition from some members of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet.
“This same El-Rufai fought for President Bola Tinubu when everyone in Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet didn’t want him,” he added.
Abdullahi’s comments come amid continued political debate over El-Rufai’s detention, with opposition figures raising concerns over due process, while the Federal Government has yet to respond to the latest allegations.
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