The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has alleged that the Federal Government is deliberately keeping former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, in detention to weaken the opposition ahead of the 2027 general election.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, made the allegation during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday monitored by The News Chronicle.
Abdullahi said the ADC was not opposed to the prosecution of any individual with a legitimate case to answer but questioned El-Rufai’s continued detention over what he described as bailable offences.
According to him, the bail conditions imposed on the former governor were unnecessarily stringent and had fuelled suspicions about the government’s motives.
“The ADC is not opposed to anybody who has a legitimate case to answer being prosecuted,” Abdullahi said.
He added, “The thinking within the ADC is that the APC government has concluded that they will not release Malam Nasir El-Rufai until after the elections.”
Abdullahi alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) believed El-Rufai’s release would strengthen the opposition and intensify political pressure on the government ahead of the 2027 elections.
He also expressed concern over the former governor’s health, warning that he required adequate medical attention.
“If anything happens to Malam Nasir El-Rufai in detention, President Bola Tinubu will be held personally responsible,” he said.
The ADC spokesman further accused the government of prioritising preparations for the 2027 elections over addressing the country’s pressing socio-economic and security challenges.
He described the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda as “just a slogan that does not mean anything.”
El-Rufai is facing charges of alleged financial misconduct during his tenure as governor of Kaduna State in a case instituted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). He is also standing trial in a separate case involving alleged unlawful wiretapping filed by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The Federal Government has yet to respond to the ADC’s allegations.
