Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the African Democratic Congress have accused the Federal Government of intimidation and witch-hunt following a police invitation to former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and his allies over allegations of criminal conspiracy.

In a letter dated September 4, 2025, and signed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department, Uzairu Abdullahi, El-Rufai and six ADC leaders were summoned to appear before the State Criminal Investigation Department on September 8.

The allegations against them bordered on criminal conspiracy, incitement of public disturbance, mischief, and causing grievous hurt.

Those listed in the letter were El-Rufai’s former Chief of Staff, Bashir Sa’idu, Jafaru Sani, Ubaidullah Mohammed, Nasiru Maikano, Aminu Abita and Ahmed Hussaini, aka Mikiya.

The ADC state chairman was directed to produce the individuals for questioning.

El-Rufai vs Kaduna govt

El-Rufai and his successor, Governor Uba Sani, had been embroiled in political disputes.

Tension had been building between the duo after El-Rufai’s allies lost by-elections in the state.

Matters got to a head last Saturday when a meeting of the ADC to inaugurate a transition committee in Kaduna State was disrupted by political thugs.

The hoodlums reportedly attacked attendees with weapons, causing injuries and property damage.

The police had blamed El-Rufai for the affray, an allegation he denied.

A recent Channels Television interview in which the former governor also accused the government of “empowering bandits” led to rebuttals by both the federal and state governments.

The Kaduna State Government in particular accused El-Rufai of attempting to destabilise the state.

In a statement by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr Suleiman Shuaibu, the state said the former governor’s recent actions amounted to “provocation, manipulation and incitement,” which posed a threat to peace and development.

The government further alleged that El-Rufai convened an “illegal and chaotic meeting” of his associates last Saturday, which degenerated into violence, including gunshots that endangered innocent citizens.

He was subsequently summoned by the police on Thursday.

Atiku, ADC slam govt

Reacting to the development on Friday, former Vice President Atiku said recent events in Kaduna, Katsina, and other areas highlighted “a troubling trend towards authoritarianism” under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

In a statement on his Facebook page, Atiku described the police summons of El-Rufai and other ADC leaders, the alleged attack on former Attorney General Abubakar Malami, and the disruption of the Katsina Elders Forum security meeting as part of “a coordinated and dangerous assault on dissenting voices, civic freedoms, and the very essence of pluralistic democracy.”

He warned that criminalising opposition and undermining peaceful civic engagement could push Nigeria towards authoritarian rule, urging citizens and leaders alike to defend democracy.

Similarly, the ADC spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, accused the police of being used to harass opposition figures while neglecting the insecurity ravaging communities.

He condemned the Kaduna police invitation and the reported attack on Malami’s convoy in Kebbi, calling them assaults not only on individuals but on democracy itself.

Abdullahi alleged that police officers failed to act while ADC members were attacked in Kaduna.

He demanded the immediate withdrawal of the police invitation to El-Rufai and his allies, the reopening of the ADC office in Kaduna, and the prosecution of those behind political violence in the state.

APC, Middle-Belt knock El-Rufai

But the All Progressives Congress said El-Rufai was not above the law and should honour the police summons.

The party’s National Secretary, Dr Ajibola Basiru, said, “That you are a politician does not give you immunity from criminal investigations. Even if he is charged, it is the court that will decide if he is guilty or innocent. It is wrong to dismiss every police invitation as a witch-hunt.”

Also, the Middle Belt Forum cautioned political parties against aligning with El-Rufai ahead of the 2027 elections, saying such alliances risked alienating voters in the region.

The MBF’s National Publicity Secretary, Luka Binniyat, accused the former governor of making “degrading and divisive” remarks against Southern Kaduna when he appeared on Channels TV.

He described El-Rufai as a “political virus,” warning that any coalition involving him could face massive voter rejection across the Middle Belt.

According to Binniyat, Southern Kaduna’s size, population, and cultural relevance make it strategically important, and any insult to the area is an attack on the wider Middle Belt.

The group alleged that El-Rufai has long had a “toxic relationship” with the region, adding that embracing him politically would mean courting rejection from millions of Middle Belt voters.

‘El-Rufai reaping what he sowed’

Reacting to the development, the Kaduna State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party on Friday accused Governor Uba Sani of using security agencies to persecute perceived political opponents.

The state Publicity Secretary of the party, Maria Dogo, described the invitation as a “clear case of political witch-hunt” targeted at those who refused to align with the governor’s camp.

“Although I don’t want to react to it, let me tell you, El-Rufai is only reaping what he sowed,” Dogo said.

“He robbed us of our mandate during the 2023 governorship election and handed it over to Governor Uba Sani. Look closely at the composition of those invited by the police; they are mostly people who left the All Progressives Congress. This is witch-hunting, plain and simple.”

The PDP spokeswoman accused Governor Sani of hiding behind security agencies to clamp down on political rivals.

Efforts to reach the Kaduna State Government for comments proved abortive as calls and messages sent to the governor’s spokesperson were not returned as of the time of filing this report.

However, a senior government official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, dismissed the PDP’s claims as “baseless and self-serving,” insisting that the police were merely doing their job.

“Nobody is above the law. If the police have credible evidence against anyone, whether a former governor or not, they have the right to invite them for questioning. The PDP is only crying foul because it suits their political narrative.”

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