The Labour Party Candidates Forum on Tuesday alleged political persecution in the arrest of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, demanding his immediate and unconditional release.
The forum described the arrest as a calculated move to silence opposition voices ahead of critical political engagements in the country.
In a statement jointly signed by its Chairman, Barrister Okeme Adejoh, and Secretary, Comrade Eze Oko Splendour, the LPCF accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of deploying state institutions to intimidate critics of the administration.
The group urged Nigerians not to reduce the matter to ethnic or religious sentiments, insisting that the development should be seen as a direct attack on democracy.
The statement read, “The Labour Party Candidates Forum stands in solidarity with Mallam El-Rufai in this moment of oppression and persecution by the ruling APC. We view the arrest as politically motivated and aimed at silencing opposition in this country.
“This is not how democracy works. Citizens must be allowed to criticise government policies and programmes without fear of arrest, intimidation or incarceration.”
The forum further alleged selective justice, claiming that some members of the APC facing weightier allegations were yet to face similar scrutiny.
It cited the cases of former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, and former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, arguing that the anti-graft fight must not be skewed.
The LPCF maintained that opposition was not a crime but the “beauty of democracy”, warning that continued intimidation of dissenting voices could endanger Nigeria’s fragile democratic culture.
It demanded the immediate release of El-Rufai from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission or the Department of State Services.
“Enough is enough,” the statement added, cautioning against what it termed a drift towards autocracy and tyranny.
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