By Samuel Abasiekong-Abasiekong
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) of intimidation and political harassment following the refusal to grant party leaders access to former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, who is currently in the custody of the anti-graft agency.
In a statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said a delegation led by the party’s National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, alongside Mallam Salihu Lukman and Abdullahi himself, visited the ICPC headquarters in Abuja on Friday but were denied access to El-Rufai despite prior communication and formal requests to the commission.
The opposition party further alleged that tension escalated at the premises after three truckloads of armed police officers reportedly arrived while the delegation waited for a response from ICPC officials. According to the ADC, the deployment of heavily armed security personnel was unnecessary given that the visiting party leaders were unarmed and peaceful throughout the visit.
The party described the action as an attempt to intimidate opposition figures and suppress dissenting voices, warning that the growing use of state institutions against political opponents could undermine democratic principles in the country. The ADC maintained that at no point did its leaders incite unrest or mobilise supporters to the commission’s premises.
The statement also revealed that Aregbesola had earlier written officially to ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, requesting visitation rights for El-Rufai amid concerns about his wellbeing and alleged restrictions on access to family members and medical personnel. The ADC insisted that El-Rufai voluntarily submitted himself to the authorities and should be accorded his constitutional rights, including access to family, doctors, lawyers and fair treatment under the law.
