ADC Accuses ICPC of Blocking Leaders from Seeing El-Rufai

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has voiced strong accusations against the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), alleging that the anti-graft agency is obstructing its leaders from visiting the detained former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai. This incident, which occurred on Friday, has escalated tensions between the opposition party and the ICPC, raising concerns about the fair treatment of political figures in custody.

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Earlier today, alongside the National Secretary of our party, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and the Secretary of the ADC Policy and Manifesto Committee, Mallam Salihu Lukman, we visited the headquarters of the ICPC in Abuja to see Mallam El-Rufai.

According to a statement released by the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, a delegation including the party's National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, and the Secretary of the Policy and Manifesto Committee, Salihu Lukman, attempted to visit El-Rufai at the ICPC headquarters. Despite prior communication and formal requests, the ADC leaders were denied access without any clear explanation. This denial, the party asserts, was compounded by the subsequent arrival of three truckloads of armed police officers, a deployment the ADC deemed "unnecessary and disproportionate."

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Despite prior communication and formal requests, we were denied access without any reasonable explanation.

The ADC interprets this heavy security presence as a deliberate attempt to intimidate not only their party leaders but also to suppress any potential public outcry. The party argues that the atmosphere became tense, creating an "unmistakable impression that the authorities feared that the mere presence of opposition leaders at the Commission could trigger public outrage." This, they contend, reflects a pattern of public institutions being weaponized against opposition figures in Nigeria.

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While we were at the premises awaiting a response to our request, the atmosphere suddenly became noticeably tense after no fewer than three truckloads of armed police officers arrived at the facility.

The ADC has condemned the ICPC's conduct as unprofessional, emphasizing that their delegation was peaceful and unarmed. The party's statement highlights the contrast between their non-confrontational approach and the state's response, which they describe as "panic, fear, and an attempt to intimidate." This incident underscores the ongoing political friction and the challenges faced by opposition parties in Nigeria when engaging with state institutions, particularly concerning high-profile detentions.

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The heavy deployment, which appeared entirely unnecessary and disproportionate to the peaceful presence of unarmed political leaders, created the unmistakable impression that the authorities feared that the mere presence of opposition leaders at the Commission could trigger public outrage.