Leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) were allegedly denied access to former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, who is currently in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
The ADC delegation included the party’s National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, and Secretary of the ADC Manifesto and Policy Committee, Salihu Lukman.
The party leaders reportedly visited the ICPC facility in an attempt to see El-Rufai but were denied access. Details surrounding the incident were still unclear as of Friday afternoon.
The development comes days after the ICPC dismissed allegations that El-Rufai was being denied access to food, family members and medical care while in detention.
Speaking at a press conference earlier, ICPC spokesperson, Okor Odey, described the allegations as “false and misleading.”
According to him, visitors are allowed into ICPC detention facilities between 9:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., adding that El-Rufai’s wife arrived outside the approved visiting hours.
Odey also maintained that authorised visitors, including family members, lawyers and medical personnel, were permitted access under supervision.
However, the El-Rufai family had alleged that the former governor was denied access to his personal doctors despite an earlier court order from the Kaduna High Court granting him unrestricted access to legal representatives and physicians.
The family further claimed that the ICPC’s in-house doctor had recommended additional medical examination before access was allegedly blocked.
“When you see a doctor and you run tests, you are expected to see the doctor back so that he explains what the problem is,” a family member said.
“He was denied access to the doctor,” El-Rufai’s second wife, Hasiat, alleged.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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