The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, alleging that the country is drifting toward authoritarianism following the continued detention of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, expressed concern over El-Rufai’s prolonged detention without trial, describing it as a violation of constitutional rights and democratic principles.

Abdullahi stated that the former governor had honoured an invitation from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in good faith, but has remained in custody for over 30 days without being formally charged or arraigned in court.

The ADC further alleged that there are attempts to pressure El-Rufai into abandoning his political stance, characterising the situation as a misuse of state institutions to suppress political participation.

According to the party, the development goes beyond routine law enforcement and instead represents a breach of legal and constitutional norms. It warned that such actions undermine Nigeria’s democratic foundations.

The opposition party called on President Tinubu to demonstrate commitment to the rule of law, insisting that respect for constitutional provisions must be reflected in both words and actions.