Hajiya Hassana Shuaibu Dada, Assistant National Youth Leader (North Central) of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has strongly criticised the ongoing prosecutions and investigations targeting former Attorney-General of the Federation Abubakar Malami (SAN) and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, describing them as “selective, politically motivated and designed to intimidate opposition voices ahead of 2027.”
In a statement released on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, Hajiya Hassana described the cases against the two prominent northern politicians as “a dangerous pattern of weaponising state institutions against critics of the Tinubu administration.”
“The EFCC’s prolonged detention of Malami over allegations that have lingered for years, and the sudden reopening of the Dadiyata disappearance case against El-Rufai complete with passport seizure and inter-agency drama are not about justice. They are about settling political scores and sending a message to anyone who dares speak against the current government.”
“Malami served as AGF under Buhari and was a key figure in the APC. El-Rufai was one of Tinubu’s most vocal northern supporters in 2023. If they are now being hounded, what message does that send to other northern leaders or anyone considering opposition in 2027?”
“We in ADC reject this abuse of anti-corruption agencies for political vendetta. If there is genuine evidence of wrongdoing, let it be presented in open court with fair hearing. But this trial-by-media, selective detention and inter-agency harassment must stop.”
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“The youth of the North Central and Nigeria at large are watching. We will not accept a democracy where institutions are used as tools of intimidation rather than instruments of justice.”
Hajiya Hassana, a rising voice within the ADC’s youth wing, called on civil society, the international community and the Nigerian Bar Association to closely monitor the cases to ensure due process and prevent the erosion of judicial independence.
Neither Malami nor El-Rufai has been convicted of any offence. Both men have described the actions against them as politically driven.
The ADC has positioned itself as a potential third-force platform, attracting several high-profile defectors disillusioned with both the APC and PDP.
This is a developing story.
By Ogungbayi Beedee Adeyemi
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