The African Democratic Congress has accused the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission of preventing its senior officials from gaining access to former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, during a visit to the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
The party made the allegation on Friday, claiming that its delegation was denied entry without any clear explanation despite prior communication and formal requests seeking permission to meet with the former governor.
Among those said to be part of the delegation were the ADC National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, and a member of the ADC Policy and Manifesto Committee, Salihu Lukman.
According to the party, an official letter had earlier been sent to the ICPC Chairman, Musa Adamu Aliyu, requesting visitation rights to El-Rufai over concerns surrounding his welfare while in custody.
The ADC said the concerns included allegations from members of El-Rufai’s family claiming that he had been denied adequate access to doctors, food and relatives.
In a statement released after the visit, the party alleged that the atmosphere around the ICPC headquarters became tense shortly after the delegation arrived at the premises.
“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.
“While we were at the premises awaiting a response to our request, the atmosphere suddenly became noticeably tense after no fewer than three truckloads of armed police officers arrived at the facility. The heavy deployment, which appeared entirely unnecessary and disproportionate to the peaceful presence of unarmed political leaders, created the unmistakable impression that the authorities feared that the mere presence of opposition leaders at the Commission could trigger public outrage,” the statement read.
The party further described the security deployment as excessive and accused authorities of attempting to intimidate 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.
“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,” the statement added.
The ADC also alleged that the continued denial of access to El-Rufai was fueling suspicion about the nature of his detention.
The party referenced earlier public comments made by El-Rufai’s wife, Asia El-Rufai, who reportedly claimed that her husband had been denied access to his doctor and that she was prevented from delivering food to him while he remained in custody.
According to the ADC, members of El-Rufai’s family had also raised concerns over alleged administrative obstacles affecting court-approved medical access.
“While the ICPC has publicly denied these allegations and insisted that access protocols were followed, the continued refusal to allow leaders of his political party to see him only deepens suspicion and raises further questions about the true nature of his detention,” the party stated.
The ADC insisted that El-Rufai voluntarily submitted himself to authorities and remains entitled to constitutional rights including dignity, medical care, family access and fair treatment.
“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.
“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 statement continued.
The party warned that it would not remain silent over what it described as harassment and intimidation against one of its leaders.
“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,” it added.
The opposition party further demanded that the ICPC immediately grant unrestricted access to El-Rufai by his family members, doctors, lawyers and political associates.
The ADC also warned that it may escalate its response nationally if restrictions on access to the former governor continue.
What you should know
Nasir El-Rufai remains one of Nigeria’s most influential opposition figures following his move into the ADC after leaving the APC political bloc.
His detention and the controversy surrounding access to him have intensified political tension ahead of the 2027 elections, especially amid growing opposition coalition talks.
Allegations involving denial of medical care, restricted visitation rights and heavy security deployment have further fueled debate about the treatment of opposition politicians by state institutions.
In Nigeria, issues involving politically exposed persons in custody often attract national attention because of concerns surrounding human rights, due process and possible political intimidation within the country’s highly competitive political environment.
