The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has triggered massive political waves across the nation by alleging that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has hatched a deliberate plan to keep the former Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, in state detention until after the 2027 general elections. Speaking during a high-profile interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, boldly claimed that the federal government is systematically weaponizing the judicial system by setting “almost impossible” bail conditions for bailable offenses. According to the opposition party, the presidency is fully aware that El-Rufai’s freedom would instantly solidify and strengthen the opposition coalition’s momentum ahead of the 2027 polls, prompting the desperate strategy to keep him locked away and out of active political circulation.
The controversy deepened significantly following a high-stakes standoff at the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) headquarters in Abuja, where a powerful opposition delegation—including former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola and former APC chieftain Salihu Lukman—was aggressively denied access to visit El-Rufai despite formal prior communication. The ADC heavily condemned the subsequent deployment of heavily armed police officers to the premises, framing it as an naked act of political intimidation aimed at suppressing dissenting voices. Expressing grave concerns over the former governor’s welfare, Abdullahi cited internal medical alerts from the National Hospital indicating that El-Rufai’s health is actively failing under custody, warning sternly that the opposition will hold President Bola Tinubu personally accountable if any tragedy befalls the embattled politician while he remains in detention over separate anti-graft and DSS communication interception charges.
