A Wife’s Tears, A Nation’s Conscience: Let Justice Have a Heart.
I woke this morning in America and was deeply moved by an emotional viral video of Hajiya Asiya El-Rufai, prompting deep reflection on our nation’s future.
Regardless of the allegations against Mallam Nasir El-Rufai or any other citizen, justice must be transparent and fair, with reasonable bail conditions that should not be seen as punitive before trial. In a democracy governed by the rule of law, institutions exist to protect every citizen's rights, regardless of their background.
We must resist any hint of selective justice that erodes public trust and threatens national unity. Those tasked with enforcing our laws must act professionally and strictly follow due process.
Let us strive for a Nigeria where the law is paramount, and where every citizen is guaranteed dignity and justice. This is the foundation of the New Nigeria we envisage. -PO
Press Statement: The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is deeply alarmed by reports that today, officials of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) forcefully denied Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai access to medical care, arrested his personal physician and physically assaulted his wife.
Information reaching us is that El-Rufai was billed for treatment at the National Hospital in Abuja today. But against the hospital's advice that he would require hospitalisation in view of his failing health, officials of the ICPC insisted on returning him into custody. Protests by his personal physician and his wife led to scuffles during which his wife was assaulted and the doctor subsequently arrested.
The actions of the ICPC and the Tinubu government have for months now gone beyond the realm of law enforcement.
Their actions have become an assault on the Constitution of 200 million Nigerians, on human dignity, and on the most basic principles of justice and human rights.
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.
No democratic government that claims to respect the rule of law should deny a detainee access to medical care or prevent close family members from seeing him in flagrant disobedience of the courts, which granted him unfettered access to his lawyers, physician and family members.
Such conduct belongs to authoritarian regimes that use state institutions to break political opponents rather than to uphold justice.
This is no longer about Mallam El-Rufai alone. It is about whether Nigeria remains a constitutional democracy or has descended into a republic where law enforcement agencies have become instruments of political persecution.
As we have said since this treatment of Mallam El-Rufai began: “Today it is El-Rufai. Tomorrow it could be any Nigerian whose only offence is to disagree with those who wield power.”
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?
President Tinubu cannot continue to hide behind anti-corruption agencies while pretending that these actions are independent of his administration.
Under our Constitution, the buck stops with the President. Every day that Mallam El-Rufai remains in custody under these circumstances is another day that Bola Tinubu keeps criminalising political opposition instead of confronting the grave crises of insecurity, unemployment, inflation, and hunger confronting millions of Nigerians.
The ADC therefore demands the following:
1. Immediate and unrestricted access for Mallam El-Rufai to his wife, children, legal team, and personal medical practitioners.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Full compliance with all constitutional guarantees and internationally recognised standards governing the treatment of persons in custody.
5. Complete transparency from the ICPC regarding the legal and factual basis for every restriction imposed on him.
6. An immediate end to the use of state institutions as instruments of political intimidation, vendetta and selective justice.
Signed:
Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, @BolajiADC National Publicity Secretary African Democratic Congress (ADC)
It's very painful to watch. All the people he mentioned who have bullets in their bodies are supporting Peter Obi for president. Are we missing something? How can someone from Borno State, a place where Boko Haram started and is still kidnapping and killing Nigerians, make such allegations against a man who dealt with criminality as a governor of Anambra? What was Ali Modu Sheriff's business before joining politics? How many EFCC cases does he have?
The elites are fighting hard to use their usual tribal sentiments to continue to plunge our country into chaos in the name of uniting us for looting and misgovernance. It will not work; this is 2027, not 1966. We will end this maneuver; we will elect Peter Obi to help us heal the nation.
We are talking about N8.8 trillion missing and a ghost government agency, yet you are busy bringing up Biafra so that looting and selling of drugs and weapons can continue. Wicked people
I watched with disappointment the recent interview granted by Senator Ali Modu Sheriff to Channels Television on Monday.
After a prolonged absence from public discourse, one would have expected that time away might have sharpened Senator Sheriff’s judgment. Regrettably, that does not appear to be the case.
In the interview, the former governor claimed that Peter Obi cannot command sizeable support in Northern Nigeria. It is curious that he has appointed himself spokesperson for the Northern masses. For the record, in his first outing on the presidential ballot, Mr. Obi secured approximately 2.8 million votes in the region — a remarkable achievement that cannot be dismissed lightly.
Given the current national hardships, the widespread consensus on the failure of the APC administration, and the addition of a strong Northern figure to the ticket who previously garnered 1.45 million votes in the region, the OK ticket remains a formidable force in Northern politics.
Even more surprising was Senator Sheriff’s assertion that the people of Kano would not vote for Mr. Obi. Let me state clearly: the good people of Kano are neither bigoted nor xenophobic. They have consistently demonstrated strong trust in the Kwankwasiyya movement and will support any credible ticket presented under its banner.
I respectfully advise Senator Sheriff that, in future national television appearances, he would do better to speak to the serious insecurity and humanitarian challenges facing his home state, rather than making divisive and poorly considered remarks.
The OK ticket currently represents the best opportunity for Nigerians to reset the country and place it on a path of competence, unity, and progress. - RMK
As a Northerner, I support @PeterObi
. The hunger in Zamfara, Kebbi, Sokoto, Niger,Kwara, Katsina and the Northeast is unbearable, empty farms, over 1,000 ghost villages from banditry and Boko Haram in Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Bauchi. Yet every election, these same abandoned places magically produce votes. To Tulumbu's APC, enough of using our pain in the north for politics. Time for real leadership that secures land and ends this suffering. A New Nigeria is POssible peace✌️
#NigeriaWillBeOK
Emotional moment a Nigerian corps member shared the unexpected love he received from his students and management as he rounds up his NYSC despite religious and ethnic differences 🤯❤️
To our brothers coming back from the xenophobic South Africa..
We deeply and sincerely commiserate with you and your family, don’t feel broken.
As you enter Nigeria, don't hesitate to get your PVC ready, remember we have a duty to make Naija a better place to live
Welcome back
I was in an oil firm for 8 years, chevron to be precise between 2010 and 2019
Nigeria happened to us and 18 of us were laid off for no reason
I built 2 houses for my family
After I lost my job I went back to the house I built for family
Fast forward to few years ago I left Christianity and chose islam
My family pushed me out of my own house simply because I built it for family
They denied me access to my 2 houses
I left heartbroken
started all over and I now i am a remote worker for both UK and US companies
Life can always start all over even at 50 bro
Don't give up
I was delighted to welcome my brother and National Leader of our great party, the NDC, His Excellency Henry Seriake Dickson, to my residence in Abuja.
I took the opportunity to brief him on the highly productive engagements and consultations I have undertaken across the North West states, which have yielded very encouraging results.
HE Dickson confirmed the successful submission of my candidacy and also announced that my name has been duly uploaded on the INEC portal as the Vice Presidential candidate to His Excellency Peter Obi on the platform of our party.
We remain steadfast, united, and fully focused on the mission ahead. - RMK
We have successfully uploaded the name of our Presidential Candidate, His Excellency, Mr. Peter Obi, CON to the INEC Portal.
Keep the faith, We are in this together. ✌🏻✅