ADC Claims El-Rufai's Detention is Politically Motivated

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has claimed that the ongoing detention of former Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai is politically motivated, aimed at hindering his involvement in the 2027 general elections and undermining the opposition. Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC's National Publicity Secretary, made these allegations during an interview on SymfoniTv, asserting that President Bola Tinubu would be held responsible if anything adverse occurred to El-Rufai while in custody.

El-Rufai is facing a five-count amended charge from the Department of State Services (DSS) regarding unlawful interception of communications linked to National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, and he is also on trial with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on a nine-count charge, with a bail application dismissed earlier this month. Abdullahi emphasized that El-Rufai's detention is not merely a legal issue but a political maneuver by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to exclude him from the political landscape ahead of the elections.

He noted El-Rufai's previous support for Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election and warned of the implications of his continued detention.