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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has said the continued detention of former Kaduna State governor by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) is a violation of human rights.
The ADC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, charged the ICPC to uphold the rule of law and release el-Rufai immediately, so that he can prepare his defence.
The opposition party, which noted that detaining a citizen endlessly is the hallmark of dictatorship and has no place in a democracy, said it would petition Amnesty International and other human rights groups if the former Kaduna State governor was not released immediately.
It argued that el-Rufai’s continued detention was a dent on the conscience of “our democracy and a dangerous descent into lawlessness by the Bola Tinubu-led government.”
The party noted that, “thirty-two days ago, the former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasiru el-Rufai, honoured an invitation by the EFCC in good faith, an act that should define a law-abiding citizen in a democratic society. Two days after his release, he was taken again, this time by the ICPC.
“Today, more than 30 days later, he remains in custody without arraignment, without formal charges and under conditions that, by his own account include, restrictions from his family members and doctor and coercion to abandon his political rights and associations as the price for his freedom.
“Let us be clear, this is not law enforcement. This is the weaponisation of state institutions against political participation. It is illegal. It is unconstitutional. It is an affront to the very idea of Nigeria as a democratic country.
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“Freedom is not a privilege that is granted at the pleasure of the executive branch. It is a right that is guaranteed by the Constitution. The right to liberty. The right to fair hearing. The right to political participation. These are not negotiable. They are not conditional. And they are not to be negotiated in dark rooms under threat by agencies that report to President Tinubu and his appointees.
“We must speak plainly, a government that detains without charge, intimidates without evidence and demands silence in exchange for freedom is not acting like a democratic government, it is behaving like something else entirely.”
Furthermore, the ADC stated that if President Tinubu intends to govern as though the Constitution is optional, he owes Nigerians a duty to say so openly.
“But, if President Tinubu still claims allegiance to the rule of law, then we challenge him to prove it in action.
“In this regard, the ADC therefore demands the immediate and unconditional compliance of all relevant state actors with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“These include the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the leadership of the ICPC and all agencies involved in this matter.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the ICPC was established to investigate and prosecute corruption and to strengthen the public’s trust in governance, not to serve as an instrument of political suppression or a tool in partisan political battles. Nigeria did not fight for democracy only to surrender it quietly through fear, silence or selective justice.
“Nevertheless, as a law-abiding party, today, the ADC calls on all Nigerians across party lines, across states and across religions, to rise in defence of the Constitution. Today, it is el-Rufai. Tomorrow, it could be anyone else that the president sees as a threat to his 2027 agenda. The erosion of rights rarely begins with everyone, it begins with one and spreads where and when silence permits it,” it stated.
