ADC Condemns Arrest Attempt On El-Rufai, Says Political Intimidation Escalating

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has condemned the attempt by security operatives to arrest former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, at an airport without presenting a warrant, warning that the move raises serious concerns about due process and political neutrality.

The national publicity secretary of the opposition party, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the incident reflects a troubling pattern of selective pressure against opposition figures under the APC-led administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Abdullahi, in a statement, also decried what it described as a double standard in the anti-corruption fight, alleging that politically exposed persons are often embraced by the ruling party while critics face heightened scrutiny.

The party spokeman said the airport arrest saga raises serious constitutional and democratic concerns. He said as much as no individual is above the law, the law must never be weaponised against political opponents.
He aaid Nigerians are witnessing an increasingly a broader and troubling pattern of pressure and selective enforcement directed at opposition voices under the watch of the APC-led administration of President Bola Tinubu.
“Reports indicate that security operatives lay in wait for Mallam El-Rufai at the airport with the apparent intention to effect an arrest, yet no warrant was presented at the time of the attempted action. If confirmed, this represents not merely a procedural lapse but a dangerous signal that due process is being treated as optional when opposition figures are involved.
“Even more concerning is the widening perception that while opposition leaders are aggressively pursued, individuals with pending corruption allegations are welcomed into the APC with pomp and pageantry. To many Nigerians, it increasingly appears that once you cross into the ruling party, past sins are quietly swept away. This is precisely the kind of selective accountability that erodes faith in the rule of law and damages the moral authority of government.
“While the African Democratic Congress reaffirms its commitment to transparency, accountability, and the rule of law, we will not accept selective targeting, intimidation, or harassment of leaders simply because they hold opposing political views. Accountability must be even handed, due process must be visible, and justice must never wear partisan colors.
“The APC-led government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must understand that the strength of a democracy is measured not by how it treats its allies, but by how it treats its critics. Nigeria has come too far, and sacrificed too much, to permit any slide toward the normalization of political intimidation,” he said.
The ADC, however, called on all security and law enforcement agencies to remain conscious of their professional and constitutional.
The party said Nigerians deserve clear assurances that the coercive powers of the state will not be deployed, or perceived to be deployed, for partisan ends.
“The ADC will continue to monitor developments closely and will not hesitate to act wherever democratic norms are threatened. Political competition in Nigeria must be settled through persuasion and the ballot, not through the shadow of selective law enforcement,” the party spokesman said in the statement.

End.