Godsent Ogbebor – Abuja Correspondent
Police Invite El-Rufai, ADC Leaders Over Alleged Conspiracy
The Kaduna State Police Command has invited former governor Nasir el-Rufai and several leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for questioning over allegations of criminal conspiracy, incitement, mischief and causing grievous hurt.
A police letter dated September 4 and signed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department, Uzainu Abdullahi, directed el-Rufai and other party leaders to appear before investigators on September 8. The invitation, according to police, is part of efforts to clarify complaints lodged by unnamed petitioners.
Those listed in the invitation include ADC North-West Vice Chairman, Jafaru Sani, Bashir Sa’idu, Ubaidullah Mohammed (popularly called “30”), Nasiru Maikano, Aminu Abita and Ahmed Rufa’i Hussaini (also known as “Mikiya”). Sani, reacting, said most of them only saw the invitation circulating on social media.
Hours before the summons became public, police operatives sealed the ADC office on Ali Akilu Road, Kaduna, deploying patrol vans to restrict access. The move came ahead of a planned visit by the party’s Northwest leadership, who were scheduled to commiserate with members attacked by suspected political thugs last week.
Read also: PDP Slams ADC Over Media Attack, Declares Readiness to Defeat Tinubu in 2027
The ADC has since condemned the attack, alleging that its members were assaulted during the inauguration of its Coalition Transition Committee in Kaduna on August 30.
According to party chieftain and former Minister of State for Defence, Malam Lawal Batagarawa, the assault left members injured and properties destroyed. He accused security agencies of complicity, claiming that police officers failed to protect the victims and in some cases aided the attackers.
Batagarawa, who spoke at an emergency press conference alongside el-Rufai and former Sokoto governor Aminu Tambuwal, also faulted directives restricting political gatherings in hotels and public spaces, warning that such measures stifle democracy. He linked the Kaduna incident to other recent attacks in Kebbi and Katsina, describing them as signs of “state-sponsored intolerance.”
Meanwhile, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the North-Central zone dismissed the ADC as a weak opposition, describing it as a “vehicle with old drivers and faulty engines.” Speaking in Abuja, Nasarawa APC chairman Aliyu Bello insisted that the ruling party remains focused on President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which he said is stabilising the economy.
Also in Abuja, Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmed, declared that there will be “no vacancy in Aso Rock” in 2027, praising Tinubu’s reforms as a lasting foundation for Nigeria’s future. She said the opposition’s coalition efforts amount to little, insisting that the administration’s policies are already winning support across the country.
