Senator asks ICC to arrest governor Uba Sani for alleged anti-democracy crimes

A fresh political storm has erupted in Kaduna State following a petition filed at the International Criminal Court (ICC), The Hague, by Senator Lawal Adamu Usman, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, demanding the arrest of Governor Uba Sani over alleged persecution, abuse of power, and crimes against democracy during the August 16, 2025 by-elections.

In the petition submitted to the ICC Prosecutor, Senator Usman accused the Kaduna State Governor of masterminding the unlawful arrest and detention of the PDP’s candidate in the polls, who is still being held by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He claimed the detention was politically motivated and executed under the Governor’s directives with the aim of incapacitating the opposition.

According to the petition, heavily armed operatives of the Nigerian Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the EFCC stormed hotels housing PDP officials in the early hours of election day.

At about 3:30 a.m., the PDP candidate was allegedly whisked away without legal grounds, while ₦26 million earmarked for election logistics was confiscated.

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The document further alleged that over 25 senior PDP stakeholders — including the State Party Secretary, Zonal Chairman, Women Leaders, and a serving House of Assembly member — were arrested and harassed. Senator Usman described the clampdown as a deliberate attempt to intimidate the opposition, breach the Kaduna Peace Accord signed by all parties, and manipulate the electoral outcome.

“The unlawful arrest, detention, and persecution of opposition candidates and officials amount to political persecution contrary to Article 7(1)(h) of the Rome Statute,” the petition reads. “The systematic abuse of state apparatus to suppress democratic participation amounts to an attack against a civilian population in violation of international human rights and electoral freedoms.”

Senator Usman insisted that Governor Sani bears direct responsibility, arguing that the security agencies acted on his political instructions.

He supported his claims with sworn affidavits, media reports, election monitors’ documentation, and annexures said to contain photographic, financial, and communication evidence linking the Governor to the clampdown.

In his sworn oath attached to the petition, Senator Usman declared that all facts presented were true to the best of his knowledge and submitted the petition in “good faith and in pursuit of justice.”

The petition is expected to generate significant political and legal debate in the days ahead, as it raises the stakes in Kaduna’s already heated political atmosphere and sets the stage for potential international scrutiny of Nigeria’s democratic practices.