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By Lizzy Chirkpi
Senior figures of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) were on Friday reportedly denied access to former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai during a visit to the custody facility of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
The ADC delegation, led by former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, alongside former Minister of Youth and Sports Bolaji Abdullahi and political strategist Salihu Lukman, had reportedly visited the facility to see El-Rufai but were turned back by officials.
As of Friday afternoon, the ICPC had not publicly explained why the ADC leaders were allegedly denied access to the former governor.
The incident adds to mounting controversy surrounding El-Rufai’s detention and the conditions under which he is being held, following allegations by members of his family that he has been denied access to food, relatives and adequate medical attention.
The claims have triggered fresh political and legal debate, particularly after reports that a Kaduna High Court had granted the former governor unrestricted access to his lawyers and personal physicians.
Responding earlier to the allegations, ICPC spokesperson Okor Odey dismissed the accusations as “false and misleading.”
According to Odey, approved visitors are permitted into ICPC detention facilities between 9:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., adding that El-Rufai’s wife reportedly arrived outside the official visiting hours.
He further stated that authorised visitors, including legal representatives, family members and medical personnel, were allowed supervised access to detainees in line with the commission’s procedures.
However, El-Rufai’s family maintained that the former governor had been denied access to his personal doctors despite the court order.
Family members also alleged that the ICPC’s in-house doctor had recommended further medical evaluation 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 El-Rufai, alleged.
The controversy surrounding El-Rufai’s detention has continued to attract national attention, especially given his recent political activities and growing involvement in opposition coalition discussions ahead of the 2027 general election.
El-Rufai, a founding member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and one of its most influential northern figures, has in recent months emerged as a prominent voice within ongoing opposition realignments involving the ADC and other political actors seeking to challenge the dominance of the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Neither the ICPC nor El-Rufai’s legal team had issued further statements on the ADC delegation’s failed visit as of the time of filing this report.