Kaduna’s fragile political climate was thrown into deeper turmoil this week after the state police command issued summonses to former Governor Nasir El-Rufai and seven leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), accusing them of criminal conspiracy and public incitement.
The directive, contained in a September 4, 2025 letter signed by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Uzainu Abdullahi, orders the politicians to appear before the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) on September 8. But critics say the move smacks of political witch-hunt and raises urgent questions about the politicization of law enforcement in the state.
According to the summons, El-Rufai and his allies including Bashir Sa’idu, Ja’afaru Sani, Ubaidullah Mohammed, Nasiru Maikano, Aminu Abita, and Ahmed Rufa’i Hussaini must answer allegations of criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance, mischief, and causing grievous hurt.
The charges stem from last weekend’s violent disruption of an opposition coalition’s inauguration in Kaduna, where armed thugs wielding cutlasses, clubs, and stones attacked participants.
Several were left injured. Though the attackers remain unidentified, opposition voices allege the violence was orchestrated to intimidate dissent.
In a move that fueled suspicion, police sealed the ADC Secretariat on Thursday, hours before a scheduled condolence visit by the party’s North-West leadership. Party officials claim the action was intended to silence them and prevent public sympathy for victims of the attacks.
At a fiery press briefing, El-Rufai denounced the summons as “a dangerous descent into lawlessness,” accusing the police of brandishing an unserved court order to justify their action.
“This is a violation of our constitutional rights,” he declared, vowing to challenge the summons in court. “What we are witnessing is not policing but persecution.”
Observers noted that the crackdown comes against the backdrop of Kaduna’s increasingly polarized politics. El-Rufai, a vocal critic of certain federal and state policies since leaving office, remains a lightning rod in the opposition space.
The ADC, though not the state’s dominant opposition party, has become a rallying ground for disaffected politicians and youth groups seeking alternatives to the ruling establishment.
Analysts warned that summoning a former governor and sealing a party office could set a troubling precedent. “If law enforcement becomes a tool for political containment, the consequences for democracy are dire,” said a senior legal practitioner in Kaduna who requested anonymity.
With the SCID appearance date looming, uncertainty hangs over how El-Rufai and the ADC leaders will respond. Will they comply with the summons, risking detention and public humiliation, or mount a legal counteroffensive that could escalate into a full-blown constitutional battle?
For many in Kaduna, the episode is no longer about the alleged crimes but about the balance of power between state authority and opposition politics. As one ADC insider put it, “This is bigger than El-Rufai—it is about whether dissent will be criminalized in Kaduna State.”
The days ahead may determine not just the political fate of El-Rufai and his allies, but also the credibility of law enforcement institutions in Nigeria’s democracy.
