ADC Alleges ICPC Blocked El-Rufai Medical Access
ADC accuses ICPC of denying El-Rufai medical care and demands immediate reforms to protect his constitutional rights.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused ICPC officials of denying former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai urgent medical care. The party claims El-Rufai’s medical access was blocked even after doctors advised he needed hospital treatment at the National Hospital, Abuja. According to the ADC, officials insisted on returning him to custody instead, and a scuffle broke out when his wife and personal physician objected. The doctor was reportedly arrested, and El-Rufai’s wife was allegedly assaulted during the confrontation.
In a statement from National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC called this a clear breach of El-Rufai’s rights and accused President Bola Tinubu‘s government of weaponising state agencies against political rivals. The party said: “The world should know today that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is holding a political prisoner in Nigeria by the name of Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai.”
The ADC insisted that restricting El-Rufai medical access and family visits has no place in a genuine democracy. It added: “The ICPC owes Nigerians immediate explanations. On whose authority was access to his family denied? Why has access to his doctor been refused despite concerns about his health? What legal basis exists for these actions? Why were El-Rufai’s wife and doctor assaulted by the ICPC operatives?”
The party listed six demands:
- Immediate, unrestricted access to his wife, children, legal team and doctors.
- An urgent review of his bail conditions.
- An end to harsh custody conditions and his release from what it called political persecution.
- Full compliance with constitutional and international detention standards.
- Complete transparency from the ICPC on the legal grounds for restrictions.
- An end to using state institutions for political intimidation.
The ADC insists that restoring El-Rufai’s medical access remains essential to protecting basic rights.
Should government agencies be held more accountable for how they treat detainees?
