Nasir El‑Rufai Rejects ICPC Claims and Calls for Physician’s Release
Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El‑Rufai has issued a statement denying the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission’s (ICPC) allegation that he abused medical privileges and violated a court order. El‑Rufai’s media adviser Muyiwa Adekeye said the July 7 ICPC press release was inaccurate, explaining that his absence from the July 6 court hearing was due to an unresolved medical condition documented before the hearing. The statement cited an April 1, 2026 court order guaranteeing El‑Rufai access to medical care while in custody and asserted that the order does not restrict who may see him.
El‑Rufai also demanded the unconditional release of his personal physician, Prof. Bello Abubakar, who was arrested by the ICPC for alleged false statements. He urged the commission to retract its statement and warned that any restriction of his medical, family or legal access could lead to contempt proceedings.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) accused the federal government of deliberately detaining El‑Rufai to weaken opposition ahead of the 2027 elections, claiming his bail conditions are overly restrictive and that his health is deteriorating. Civil‑society group CCDCE condemned the alleged denial of medical care, calling it a breach of constitutional and international human‑rights obligations and urging compassionate variation of his bail conditions.
All parties called for adherence to legal and human‑rights standards while the case proceeds through the courts.