The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned what it described as an attempted arrest of its member and former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, without the presentation of a warrant.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said the incident raises serious concerns about due process and political neutrality under the present administration.
The ADC maintained that while no individual is above the law, legal processes must not be weaponised against political opponents. It warned that the alleged airport action reflects what it termed a troubling pattern of selective pressure on opposition figures.
According to the party, reports indicate that security operatives allegedly waited for El-Rufai at the airport with the intention of effecting an arrest, but failed to present a warrant at the time. If confirmed, the ADC said, such conduct would amount to a dangerous disregard for constitutional safeguards.
The party further decried what it described as double standards in the anti-corruption campaign, alleging that politically exposed persons facing allegations are often welcomed into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), while critics of the government face heightened scrutiny.
“It increasingly appears that once you cross into the ruling party, past sins are quietly swept away,” the statement said, adding that selective accountability undermines public trust and weakens the moral authority of government.
The ADC called on security and law enforcement agencies to remain professional and constitutionally guided in the discharge of their duties, urging the government to ensure that the coercive powers of the state are not deployed for partisan ends.
The party reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, accountability and the rule of law, insisting that political competition in Nigeria must be settled through persuasion and the ballot, not through intimidation.
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