APC administration's motive for retaining El-Rufai beyond 2027 polls revealed – ADC

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Former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai

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The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of deliberately keeping former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai in custody to weaken the opposition ahead of the 2027 general election.

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The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, made the allegation during an interview on Channels Television on Thursday, insisting that while the ADC does not oppose the prosecution of anyone with a legitimate case to answer, it believes the handling of El-Rufai’s case suggests a political motive.

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Abdullahi argued that the continued detention of the former governor despite facing bailable offences had strengthened the opposition’s suspicion that the government intended to keep him in custody until after the next election.

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“We are 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 continue to arraign that person and continue to set conditions for bail that are almost impossible for this person to meet, it creates room for us to believe that you deliberately intend to hold this person in perpetuity,” he said.

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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. That’s what we believe.”

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According to Abdullahi, the ruling party fears El-Rufai’s influence if released, claiming his freedom would strengthen the opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 polls.

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“They know that with Malam Nasir El-Rufai freed, the opposition is stronger… That is why they want to hold him,” he alleged.

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The ADC spokesman also expressed concern over El-Rufai’s health, citing reports from his family that doctors at the National Hospital advised he should remain under medical observation after his condition deteriorated.

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“If anything happens to Malam Nasir El-Rufai in detention, President Bola Tinubu will be held personally responsible because the buck stops on the table,” Abdullahi said, describing the former governor as “a political prisoner.”

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He further accused the APC of using legal actions to undermine the opposition, alleging that the party was more focused on the 2027 election than addressing the country’s challenges.

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According to him, the formation of the ADC coalition was driven by the opposition’s determination to offer Nigerians an alternative political platform, while dismissing the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda as “just a slogan.”

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El-Rufai is currently facing charges of alleged financial misconduct instituted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over his tenure as Kaduna State governor.

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He is also standing trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja over allegations of unlawful interception of telephone communications in a case filed by the Department of State Services (DSS).

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