The allegation was contained in a statement released by the party on Friday after some top ADC officials were reportedly denied permission to see El-Rufai in custody.

As earlier reported by Naija News, the delegation included the ADC National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi; and the Secretary of the ADC Policy and Manifesto Committee, Mallam Salihu Lukman.

According to the party, it had earlier written formally to the ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, requesting access to El-Rufai following concerns raised by his family over alleged restrictions on food delivery and medical care.

The ADC warned that both Nigerians and the international community were monitoring the situation closely, alleging that El-Rufai was being targeted through intimidation and political persecution.

The party also threatened to mobilise its members across the country if authorities continued to deny access to the former governor.

In the statement, the ADC stressed that El-Rufai voluntarily submitted himself to authorities and should not be treated like a fugitive.

The party maintained that the former governor is entitled to dignity, medical attention, access to family members, and fair treatment in line with constitutional provisions.

The statement partly read, “The African Democratic Congress (ADC) expresses deep concern over the refusal of the ICPC to grant senior leaders of our party access to Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, a former governor of Kaduna State and a prominent leader of our party, who remains in the custody of the commission.

“Earlier today, alongside the National Secretary of our party, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and the Secretary of the ADC Policy and Manifesto Committee, Mallam Salihu Lukman, we visited the ICPC headquarters in Abuja to see Mallam El-Rufai. Despite prior communication and formal requests, we were denied access without any reasonable explanation.”

The ADC further claimed that the atmosphere around the ICPC facility became tense during the visit after multiple trucks carrying armed police officers arrived at the premises.

According to the party, the deployment appeared excessive and created the impression that authorities feared public backlash over the treatment of opposition figures.

“It is troubling that a simple request by senior party officials to visit a detained colleague was met with a show of force more suited to civil unrest,” the statement added.

The party insisted that none of its members engaged in any act capable of causing disorder or confrontation at the premises.

The ADC also referenced earlier claims by El-Rufai’s wife, Hajiya Asia El-Rufai, who alleged that she was prevented from delivering food to her husband and that he had been denied access to his doctor despite a court order.

While the ICPC had previously denied the allegations and maintained that visitation protocols were followed, the ADC argued that the continued refusal to grant access only deepened public suspicion about the circumstances surrounding El-Rufai’s detention.

The opposition party accused authorities of using state institutions to intimidate dissenting voices and suppress opposition figures.

“Let it be clear: Mallam Nasir El-Rufai is not a fugitive. He voluntarily submitted himself to the authorities. Under the Constitution, he is entitled to dignity, medical care, family access, and fair treatment under the law,” the party stated.

The ADC demanded that the ICPC immediately allow unrestricted access to El-Rufai by his family members, lawyers, doctors, and party leaders, warning that failure to do so would strengthen perceptions that government institutions were being weaponised against political opponents.