ADC: Tinubu Will Be Held Responsible If Anything Happens to El-Rufai

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has alleged that the continued detention of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, is politically motivated, warning that President Bola Tinubu would be held responsible if anything happened to him while in custody.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, made the remarks during an interview on Symfoni, where he accused the Federal Government of using the legal process to weaken the opposition ahead of the 2027 general election.

El-Rufai is currently facing separate criminal proceedings instituted by the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

The DSS is prosecuting him on a five-count amended charge alleging unlawful interception of telephone conversations linked to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, while the ICPC has also arraigned him on a nine-count charge. His application for bail was dismissed earlier in July.

Abdullahi argued that the prolonged detention was intended to prevent the former governor from participating in political activities and strengthening the ADC before the next election.

“This is not about law, it’s not about crime and punishment; it’s politics,” he said.

According to him, the courts should be allowed to determine El-Rufai’s guilt or innocence without what he described as indefinite detention.

The ADC spokesman also claimed El-Rufai played a significant role in mobilising support for Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election, particularly in northern Nigeria, despite pressure from some politicians for a northern presidential candidate.

Abdullahi recalled that Tinubu had previously appealed to El-Rufai not to leave the country because his administration would require his support.

He further expressed concern over the former governor’s health, warning that any harm to him while in custody would attract public scrutiny.

“I’ll repeat it here. If, God forbid, anything happens to Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, President Bola Tinubu should realise, even if he didn’t intend it, that he would be held personally responsible,” he said.

Abdullahi urged the government to release El-Rufai on bail and allow the judicial process to continue.

He added that if the ADC forms the next government, it would investigate the circumstances surrounding the former governor’s detention and determine whether any officials were responsible for alleged abuses of due process.