The African Democratic Congress has said that the continuous detention of the former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El Rufai is a grave violation of his human rights.

In a statement made available to journalist Wednesday, the National Publicity Secretary of  ADC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi  described the detention as illegal and unconstitutional, saying it was an attempt to coerce El-Rufai into abandoning his political choice.

The party maintained that detaining  a citizen interminably was  the hallmark of dictatorship and has no place in a democracy.

The statement reads : “The African Democratic Congress declares that the continued violation of the fundamental rights of Mallam Nasir El Rufai is a stain on the conscience of our democracy and a dangerous descent into lawlessness by the Bola Tinubu-led government.

“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.

“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.

“If President Bola Tinubu intends to govern as though the Constitution is optional, then he owes Nigerians the honesty to say so openly. He must declare, without pretense, that the rules of democracy no longer apply. And if that is the path that he chooses, then Nigerians, citizens, institutions, the international community, and the opposition, will know that what stands before us is not democracy, but a dictatorship in disguise.”

”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. This includes 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.