Again, Atiku demands release of El-Rufai, Other Political Detainees

By Lateef Ibrahim Abuja

Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has, again, demanded the immediate release of former Kaduna State Governor and Deputy Chairman of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, and other persons he described as political prisoners.

Atiku, in a statement by Kola Ologbondiyan, Director, Media and Publicity ADC Presidential Campaign Council, made the demand on Wednesday when he received the leadership of the ADC in Kaduna State at his Abuja residence.

He said the Federal Government had no justification for continuing to detain citizens on account of their political beliefs or associations.

“The Federal Government has no basis to continue to hold people on the grounds of their beliefs or political association. Let’s hope that the Federal Government will listen to wise counsel and release them immediately,” Atiku said.

Speaking on his longstanding relationship with Kaduna State, the former Vice President said he had consistently enjoyed tremendous goodwill among the people of the state, stressing that Kaduna would be central to the ADC’s strategy for the 2027 general elections.

“Kaduna State will be key in all that we would do. I also want our party to win Kaduna State. We must not allow our elections to be stolen in the state or in any other state,” he stated.

Atiku also urged ADC leaders and supporters in the state to draw lessons from the recent governorship election in Osun State, where he alleged that voters resisted financial inducement and voted according to their convictions.

“We can all recall what happened in Osun State. There was no money that was not taken to the state, as well as the entire security. But the people of Osun took their money and refused to vote for them,” he added.

Earlier, Chairman of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Mallam Kashim Imam, disclosed that Kaduna State had emerged first in the ongoing nationwide membership registration exercise and had maintained its lead.

Imam charged the state leadership to translate the party’s growing membership base into electoral support for its presidential candidate in 2027.

“Kaduna State came first in the registration of party members and has continued to maintain the lead. Kaduna State must deliver a minimum of one million votes for our presidential candidate. Kaduna is central to the ADC ahead of the 2027 presidential election,” Imam said.

In his opening remarks, the ADC governorship candidate in Kaduna State, Alhaji Isah Ashiru, expressed confidence in the party’s prospects, saying the ADC was poised to win the governorship election and deliver all its candidates in the state.