The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) intends to keep former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai in custody until after the 2027 general elections.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, claimed the APC believes the opposition would become stronger if El-Rufai regains his freedom before the polls.
Abdullahi maintained that the ADC is not opposed to the prosecution of anyone facing legitimate criminal charges but expressed concern over what he described as efforts to frustrate El-Rufai’s release on bail.
According to him, keeping an individual in detention over bailable offences while imposing difficult bail conditions raises questions about the government’s intentions.
He said, “ADC is not opposed to anybody who has a legitimate case to answer from being prosecuted but when you are holding someone in custody for bailable offences and you proceed to arraign that person and make impossible conditions for bail to meet, it creates room for us to believe that you deliberately intend to hold this person in perpetuity.
“What I can tell you is that the thinking within the ADC is that the APC government has concluded that they will not release Mallam Nasir El-Rufai until after the election.
“That’s what we believe, that’s the plan, and that’s what they plan to do. They know that with Mallam Nasir El-Rufai freed, the opposition is stronger and they know that if they release him, he would remind them of certain things that they would rather forget.
“We in the opposition believe that they are doing everything to make sure that El-Rufai remains in custody until after the election.”
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BACKSTORY:
The allegation by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) comes amid ongoing legal troubles involving former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who is currently facing corruption-related charges filed by the Kaduna State Government. The state government accused El-Rufai and several former officials of misappropriating billions of naira during his administration, allegations he has consistently denied, describing them as politically motivated.
In recent months, El-Rufai has become one of the most outspoken critics of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu‘s administration after falling out with the ruling All Progressives Congress. He subsequently aligned himself with opposition politicians and became associated with efforts to build a coalition aimed at challenging the APC in the 2027 general elections.
ADC spokesman Bolaji Abdullahi’s latest claim follows reports that El-Rufai is being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over allegations of financial misconduct. Abdullahi alleged that the APC intends to keep El-Rufai under pressure until after the 2027 elections because the opposition would be stronger with him actively participating before the polls. However, neither the APC nor the EFCC has publicly confirmed any such plan or acknowledged the allegation.
