The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of allegedly plotting to keep former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, in detention until after the 2027 general elections.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, claimed that the APC believes the opposition would become stronger if El-Rufai regains his freedom before the elections.
Abdullahi maintained that the ADC is not opposed to the prosecution of any individual with a legitimate case to answer but questioned the circumstances surrounding El-Rufai’s continued detention.
According to him, holding a person accused of bailable offences in custody while imposing difficult bail conditions raises concerns about a deliberate attempt to keep the individual incarcerated indefinitely.
“The thinking within the ADC is that the APC government has concluded that it will not release Mallam Nasir El-Rufai until after the election,” Abdullahi said.
He further alleged that the ruling party fears El-Rufai’s influence on the opposition, insisting that his release would strengthen opposition forces and potentially revive issues the government would prefer to avoid.
“We in the opposition believe that they are doing everything possible to ensure that El-Rufai remains in custody until after the election,” he added.
The APC has yet to officially respond to the allegations made by the ADC.
