The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has
expressed concern over the handling of ongoing legal cases involving two of its
prominent members — former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar
Malami, and former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.
In a statement posted on X on Tuesday, the party’s
National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the ADC had been
closely monitoring developments surrounding both cases.
While reaffirming that no citizen is above the law,
the party questioned what it described as inconsistencies in the speed and
manner of enforcement actions.
“As a law-abiding party, it is important to state for
the record that the ADC believes no citizen, regardless of stature or past
office, is above the law,” Abdullahi said. However, he stressed that justice
must be applied evenly, transparently, and without political bias in a
constitutional democracy.
The ADC referenced a recent high-profile case
involving allegations of passport forgery, international conspiracy, and
impersonation, noting that the accused individuals were granted bail and are
currently standing trial. The party contrasted this with what it termed
“prolonged custodial movements and inter-agency transfers” in the cases of
Malami and El-Rufai.
According to the party, both men remain Nigerian
citizens entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty in a
competent court of law. It pledged continued support for them as they pursue
their legal rights.
Malami is currently in custody over allegations of
money laundering and financial impropriety during his tenure as
Attorney-General. On February 27, 2026, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal
High Court ordered that he and his son, Abdulaziz, be remanded at Kuje
Correctional Centre, while his wife, Asabe, was remanded at Suleja Correctional
Centre.
They pleaded not guilty to charges, including the
alleged improper use of approximately ?800 billion in recovered funds. The case
has been adjourned to March 6, 2026, for hearing of their bail applications.
Meanwhile, El-Rufai is under investigation by the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt
Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the Department
of State Services (DSS).
His legal challenges intensified following a February
interview in which he admitted to phone-tapping National Security Adviser Nuhu
Ribadu. The ICPC is also investigating alleged financial misconduct during his
time as governor between 2015 and 2023.
El-Rufai has filed a ?1 billion fundamental rights
enforcement suit against the ICPC, alleging unlawful invasion of his Abuja
residence on February 19. The hearing was adjourned to March 11, 2026, after
his legal team failed to serve the respondents.
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