Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesman for the African Democratic Congress, has alleged a plot by President Bola Tinubu’s government to keep former governor Nasir El-Rufai in detention until after the 2027 elections.

“What I can tell you is that the thinking within the ADC is that the APC government has concluded that they will not release Malam Nasir El-Rufai until after the elections. That’s what we believe in,” said Mr Abdullahi in a Channels TV interview on Thursday.

Mr El-Rufai is currently facing a case of alleged financial misconduct during his tenure as governor, which was brought against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.

The ex-governor is also facing trial at the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, in a case of alleged wire-tapping brought against him by the State Security Service.

Mr Abdullahi accused the ruling government of deliberately keeping Mr El- Rufai to weaken the opposition ahead of the polls.

“Let me establish the principle that ADC is not opposed to anybody who has a legitimate case to answer, from being prosecuted, but when you are holding someone in custody for bailable offences, and you proceed to continue to arraign that person and continue to set conditions for bail that are almost impossible for this person to meet, it creates room for us to believe that you deliberately intend to hold this person in perpetuity and you are just looking for legal loopholes to hold this person.

“That is the plan, and that’s what they plan to do because they know that with Malam Nasir El-Rufai freed, the opposition is stronger, and they know that if they release him, he is going to remind them of certain things that they would rather forget.

“According to the report we got from the family, he was at the National Hospital a few days ago, and the hospital advised that he should be, he should be kept under watch because his health was failing. We have said it, and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, our presidential candidate, has said it. If anything happens to Malam Nasir El-Rufai in detention, President Bola Tinubu will be held personally responsible because the buck stops at the table,” Mr Abdullahi warned.

The ADC spokesman’s allegation came hours after Mr El-Rufai’s wife, Asiya El-Rufai, in an Arise TV interview, expressed concern over the bail conditions granted to her husband, describing them as difficult to meet.

“The fundamental rights of individuals are guaranteed by section four of the Constitution. It guarantees the right to life, the right to health and the right to interactions. Now, Mallam has been accused of offences in different courts, and those charges are clearly bailable offences under the Nigerian law. He has applied for bail on several occasions in the high court. He was denied bail,” Mrs El-Rufai stated.

The presidency did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment on Mr Abdullahi’s allegation.