The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the federal government of applying justice selectively in the ongoing legal cases involving former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, and former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), both members of the opposition party.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party contrasted the treatment of the two opposition leaders with a separate case involving allegations of passport forgery and international conspiracy, where the accused were granted bail and proceedings moved swiftly.
ADC said it had been monitoring the ongoing legal cases involving Malami and El-Rufai.
It said, ‘’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.
‘’However, in a constitutional democracy, where the law is seen to operate selectively, it becomes imperative to insist, firmly and without apology, that justice must be applied evenly, transparently, and without political calculation, particularly in cases such as those involving Abubakar Malami and Nasir El-Rufai, where the manner, speed, and sequence of enforcement actions have understandably raised serious public concern about consistency and fairness.’’
ADC said the movement of Malami and El-Rufai from the custody of one law enforcement agency to another, in rapid succession, while investigations appeared ongoing, had raised profound public concern.
The party stated, ‘’When a citizen is transferred from one detention facility to another before investigations are demonstrably concluded, it inevitably begs the question: is detention being used as an investigative shortcut, or as an instrument of pressure to keep these opposition leaders out of circulation?
‘’In a democracy that is supposed to be governed by the rule of law, custody must follow credible, well-prepared charges, not precede them in a manner that creates the appearance of pre-trial punishment.
‘’If there is evidence against Abubakar Malami, prosecute him transparently. If there is evidence against Nasir El-Rufai, present it before the court and allow the law to take its course.
‘’But Nigeria and Nigerians will not accept a situation where the coercive instruments of the Bola Tinubu-led federal government are perceived to move with unusual speed against opposition figures, while similar matters elsewhere travel at a gentler pace.”
The statement added, ‘’Nigerians should consider a recent high-profile case. At its centre are grave allegations of passport forgery, international conspiracy, impersonation, and the alleged use of a disputed international passport in support of a property claim in London.
‘’These are not minor procedural questions. They touch on issues of national integrity and international credibility. Yet, in that case, the accused persons pleaded not guilty, were granted bail, and the matter is proceeding with dispatch before the court.
‘’Yet, in the cases involving Abubakar Malami and Nasir El-Rufai, we have witnessed prolonged custodial movements, inter-agency transfers, and processes that appear to precede, rather than follow, fully crystallised prosecution.
‘’At the same time, let there be no ambiguity about our position. Abubakar Malami and Nasir El-Rufai are, first, citizens of Nigeria before they are opposition leaders or members of the African Democratic Congress.
‘’They are, therefore, presumed innocent under the constitution until proven otherwise in a fair and competent court of law. That presumption should not be treated as a courtesy, but as a constitutional guarantee.”
ADC stated, ‘’We will continue to stand by our members as they assert their legal rights. We will ensure that they are not isolated, intimidated, or denied the protections that every Nigerian citizen is entitled to under the law.
“We will never abandon our people in moments of trial. We will never leave any of our members behind. To stand by them is not to obstruct justice, it is to insist that justice be done properly.”
The statement said, ‘’Accordingly, ADC calls for immediate public clarification from the relevant authorities on the precise status and stage of investigations concerning Abubakar Malamiand Nasir El-Rufai, strict adherence to constitutional safeguards protecting against arbitrary or prolonged detention, transparent and time-bound prosecution of any charges supported by credible evidence, and equal application of the law without discrimination based on political alignment.
‘’In moments such as this, nations define themselves. ADC chooses to define Nigeria as a country that is founded on the equal application of the law, not a country that is governed by the whims of the executive branch. As a party, we also choose to insist that justice must be impartial, consistent, and immune from any political mathematics and machinations.’’
