No Nigerian is immune to punishment, according to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), but the justice system must be impartial and not favour any one group.
Abubakar Malami, a former attorney general of the federal government, and Nasir El-Rufai, a former governor of Kaduna, are both facing legal proceedings; the party spoke out in their defence.
Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, issued a statement on Tuesday reiterating the organization’s commitment to standing by the two leaders and any other members facing prosecution.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Malami, and last week a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered that he be kept at the Kuje Correctional Centre.
On the other hand, El-Rufai accepted an invitation from the EFCC on February 16. They held him until the evening of February 18th, after which they turned him over to the ICPC to look into allegations of financial wrongdoing.
As stated in their statement, the African Democratic Congress has been keeping an eye on the continuing judicial proceedings concerning two of their leaders.
Aware of the dangers of what it called “selective justice,” the party emphasised its adherence to the rule of law.
No citizen, regardless of rank or position, is immune to the rule of law; this is something that law-abiding parties must emphasise. However, the party emphasised that justice must be administered impartially, openly, and without political bias in a constitutional democracy.
Also, the ADC asked Nigerians to evaluate how these situations were handled in comparison to others that received a lot of attention. In a recent case that involved significant accusations including international conspiracy and passport falsification, the accused were given bail and their case is moving quickly through the courts, according to the citation.
“Conversely, in the cases concerning Abubakar Malami and Nasir El-Rufai, there have been issues with extended detention, transfers between agencies, and what seems to be procedures that lead up to formal prosecution,” the statement continued.
A stance based on constitutional principles, not party politics, is what the party stressed.
Although they are leaders in the opposition and members of our party, “Abubakar Malami and Nasir El-Rufai are first citizens of Nigeria,” the statement read.
The ADC emphasised that until found guilty in a competent court of law, both men are presumed innocent.
It is not a favour to assume that. It is guaranteed by the constitution. The party made it clear that it will support its members as they fight back against intimidation and the denial of their rights as Nigerian citizens.