El-Rufai, ADC governorship candidate’s court appearance puts Kaduna opposition politics in focus

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s appearance at the Kaduna State High Court alongside African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate Isa Ashiru has drawn attention to the state’s evolving opposition politics ahead of the 2027 elections.

El-Rufai arrived at the court on Tuesday, October 13, for the continuation of his trial over alleged financial misconduct. His appearance followed an order by Justice Darius Khobo directing the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to produce him for the hearing.

Ashiru’s presence alongside the former governor added a political dimension to the proceedings, although neither the court appearance nor Ashiru’s attendance, by itself, establishes a new political alliance.

The development comes as opposition parties and aspirants position themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections, with Kaduna emerging as an important battleground in the contest for political influence in northern Nigeria.

Ashiru emerged as the ADC’s governorship candidate in Kaduna State in May 2026, after previously contesting the governorship election for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2019 and 2023.

At the ADC primary, he secured 86,113 votes, defeating several other aspirants, including Jafaru Sani, a former commissioner who served under El-Rufai’s administration.

His emergence gives the ADC a candidate with previous experience in statewide contests. However, the party has also faced internal disagreements over its selection process.

On October 8, Tribune Online reported a dispute over the issuance of Ashiru’s certificate of return, with supporters of another aspirant, Shuaibu Idris Mikati, challenging the outcome of the primary and arguing that the dispute remained unresolved. The report said the Independent National Electoral Commission had displayed Ashiru’s name on its portal.

The dispute highlights the organisational challenges the ADC may have to address as it prepares for the next election cycle.

El-Rufai’s political significance in Kaduna extends beyond his eight years as governor, from 2015 to 2023. His relationship with his successor, Governor Uba Sani of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has deteriorated, contributing to a wider realignment ahead of the next governorship election.

A Premium Times analysis published in August described the fallout between the two politicians, alongside opposition fragmentation and regional political calculations, as important factors shaping Kaduna’s 2027 contest. The report also identified Ashiru as a central figure in the ADC’s effort to challenge the APC in the state.

El-Rufai’s appearance with Ashiru therefore comes against a backdrop of shifting political relationships. The former governor previously contested against Ashiru in the 2019 governorship election, but both are now associated with the ADC’s broader opposition platform.

Nevertheless, the significance of their appearance together should be assessed cautiously. It demonstrates a public association at the court but does not, on its own, establish the terms of any political understanding between them.

The political attention surrounding El-Rufai’s court appearance coincides with his ongoing legal difficulties.

The ICPC is prosecuting him over alleged financial offences linked to his administration. On October 9, the Court of Appeal in Kaduna dismissed his appeal against the refusal of bail by the state high court. The decision concerned his bail application, not the determination of the substantive corruption allegations.

The trial is separate from the political contest ahead of 2027, and the allegations against El-Rufai remain subject to judicial determination. His political affiliations do not establish guilt or innocence, just as the prosecution does not, by itself, prove that the case is politically motivated.

For the ADC, the challenge is to build a coherent political organisation amid internal disputes and competing interests. The party’s governorship primary has already faced objections from supporters of another aspirant, illustrating the difficulties that can arise when a party seeks to consolidate its position ahead of an election.

As Kaduna approaches the 2027 governorship election, El-Rufai’s relationship with Ashiru may remain a subject of political interest. Whether their public association translates into a formal alliance or coordinated campaign strategy, however, will depend on further developments.

For now, the court appearance places two prominent figures in Kaduna’s opposition politics in the same public frame at a time when political loyalties are shifting and the legal proceedings against the former governor continue.