UPDATE: ADC accuses ICPC of blocking access to El-Rufai, alleges intimidation

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) of denying its leaders access to former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, who is currently in the custody of the anti-graft agency.

Western Post had earlier reported that a delegation comprising the ADC National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola; the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi; and Secretary of the party’s Manifesto and Policy Committee, Salihu Lukman, visited the ICPC headquarters in Abuja to see El-Rufai but were denied access despite prior communication with the commission.

In a statement issued on Friday, Abdullahi expressed concern over what the party described as the treatment of the former governor and a growing pattern of intimidation against opposition figures.

The party also alleged that the atmosphere at the commission’s headquarters became tense during the visit, claiming that several truckloads of armed police officers were deployed to the premises while the delegation waited for a response.

“It is deeply troubling that a simple request by senior party officials to visit a detained colleague was met, not with professionalism, but with a show of force more suited to the suppression of civil unrest. At no point did members of our delegation threaten disorder, incite confrontation, or mobilise supporters to the premises,” the statement read.

ADC described the security deployment as unnecessary, insisting that its leaders were unarmed and had visited the facility peacefully without causing any disruption.

The opposition party further alleged that state institutions were increasingly being used to intimidate dissenting voices, warning that such actions could undermine public confidence in democratic institutions and the rule of law.

The development comes amid controversy surrounding El-Rufai’s detention, with members of his family alleging that he had been denied access to his personal doctors despite a court order granting him unrestricted access to legal representatives and medical personnel.