• Wife: My husband doesn’t deserve persecution after working for Tinubu’s victory
Chuks Okocha and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
The African Democratic Congress (ADC), has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of political persecution following the reported arrest of the personal physician of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and the alleged assault on his wife.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party alleged that officials of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) prevented El-Rufai from receiving medical treatment at the National Hospital, Abuja, despite medical advice that he should be admitted.
According to the ADC, El-Rufai’s wife and personal physician protested the decision by ICPC officials to return him to custody, leading to a scuffle during which his wife was allegedly assaulted and his doctor arrested.
The opposition party described the development as an abuse of constitutional rights, alleging that the Tinubu administration was using state institutions to target political opponents.
The ADC further claimed that El-Rufai had been denied access to his family and personal physician despite court orders granting him unrestricted access to his lawyers, doctor and family members.
The party called on the ICPC to explain the legal basis for the alleged restrictions imposed on El-Rufai, including the denial of access to his family and doctor, as well as the reported arrest of his physician.
The ADC also urged President Bola Tinubu to take responsibility for the actions of the anti-corruption agency, insisting that the President could not distance himself from the matter.
The party demanded immediate and unrestricted access for El-Rufai to his family, legal team and medical practitioners, a review of his bail conditions, improved detention conditions, compliance with constitutional and international standards governing detainees, full transparency from the ICPC on the restrictions imposed on him, and an end to what it described as the use of state institutions for political intimidation.
The ICPC had not publicly responded to the allegations at the time of filing this report.
“The ADC therefore demands the following:
“Immediate and unrestricted access for Mallam El-Rufai to his wife, children, legal team, and personal medical practitioners.
“An urgent review of the punitive and disproportionate bail conditions imposed on Mallam El-Rufai, with a view to ensuring that they conform with the Constitution and the fundamental principle that bail is intended to secure attendance at trial, not to inflict punishment before conviction.
“An immediate end to the harsh, degrading and unnecessarily restrictive conditions under which he is being held and supervised, and his release from what has become a regime of political persecution masquerading as lawful process.
“Full compliance with all constitutional guarantees and internationally recognised standards governing the treatment of persons in custody.
“Complete transparency from the ICPC regarding the legal and factual basis for every restriction imposed on him.
“An immediate end to the use of state institutions as instruments of political intimidation, vendetta and selective justice,” part of the statement read.
The ICPC arrested Professor Bello Abubakar, the personal physician to former governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, recently.
In a statement by John Odey, the ICPC spokesperson, Abubakar was arrested on Tuesday after what the commission described as abuse of privilege by El-Rufai and the medical doctor and violation of court order.
El-Rufai’s Wife to Tinubu: My Husband Doesn’t Deserve Persecution After Working for Your Victory
One of the wives of a former governor of Kaduna State, Hajiya Asiya El-Rufai, has said her husband did not deserve persecution having worked for the victory of President Bola Tinubu in the 2023 elections.
Asiya, who stated this was yesterday in Abuja while addressing journalists alongside El-Rufai’s other wife, Aichatou, appealed to the president to allow El-Rufai to be given a lenient bail condition.
She noted that the family was not asking the President to interfere with the judicial process or halt the prosecution of El-Rufai, but to ensure that he enjoys the constitutional rights available to every Nigerian, including access to medical care, family members, lawyers and bail on reasonable terms.
Asiya while reacting to the arrest of her husband’s personnel physician, Prof. Bello Abubakar by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) said her husband, diagnosed with High Blood Pressure and High Blood Sugar level, was denied access to medical treatment.
“Mr. President, Sir, I campaigned for you. I stood up and went to every nook and cranny of Kaduna State for you. My husband stood by your side. Is this what our family deserves?
“The ball is in your court, Mr. President. All these can stop if you say a word. We believe that you are a father and we know you can empathise.”
While appealing for compassion, Asiya disclosed that the family was not seeking special treatment or political interference in the legal process.
Asiya added: “Please let him go free. I am not asking you to tell them not to prosecute him, but we are asking you to allow him the basic human rights that the Constitution you swore to uphold and defend guarantees.
“Let them give him the bail that he can afford. If he is guilty, let the court decide; if he is innocent, let the court decide.
“We are only asking that he be given the basic human rights guaranteed by the Constitution. Let him be granted bail on reasonable terms. If he is guilty, let the court decide. If he is innocent, let the court also decide.”
