The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has accused the President Bola Tinubu-led administration of applying selective justice in the handling of legal cases involving former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai and former Attorney General of the Federation Abubakar Malami.
According to the opposition party, there is significant public anxiety about whether the rule of law is being implemented equally across political lines as a result of the arrests, interagency custody transfers, and general pace of actions against the two men.
Bolaji Abdullahi, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, stated in a statement Wednesday that the party has been keeping a close eye on events involving its members.
He said, “The ADC has been monitoring the ongoing legal cases involving two of our leaders, Mr. Malami, former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice from Kebbi State, and El-Rufai, the former Governor of Kaduna State.
“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.
“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 Malami and El-Rufai, where the manner, speed, and sequence of enforcement actions have understandably raised serious public concern about consistency and fairness.
“The movement of Malami and El-Rufai from the custody of one law enforcement agency to another, in rapid succession, while investigations appear ongoing, has raised profound public concern.
“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 Malami, prosecute him transparently. If there is evidence against El-Rufai, present it before the court and allow the law to take its course.”
The party also highlighted what it described as a high-profile, contrasting case involving accusations of international conspiracy, impersonation, and passport forgery, in which the accused were granted bail and the case is going swiftly.
He said, “The ADC has been monitoring the ongoing legal cases involving two of our leaders, Mr. Malami, former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice from Kebbi State, and El-Rufai, the former Governor of Kaduna State.
“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.
“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 Malami and El-Rufai, where the manner, speed, and sequence of enforcement actions have understandably raised serious public concern about consistency and fairness.
“The movement of Malami and El-Rufai from the custody of one law enforcement agency to another, in rapid succession, while investigations appear ongoing, has raised profound public concern.
“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 Malami, prosecute him transparently. If there is evidence against El-Rufai, present it before the court and allow the law to take its course.”
The party also highlighted what it described as a high-profile, contrasting case involving accusations of international conspiracy, impersonation, and passport forgery, in which the accused were granted bail and the case is going swiftly.
“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.
“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.
“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,” the ADC added.
