By Emmanuel Thomas l Wednesday, July 15
ABUJA — The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly reacted to the controversial death of Ms. Mary Habila, a young physiotherapist who reportedly died within the private residence of the Honourable Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi.
In a scathing press statement released on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, the opposition party demanded that the Minister immediately step down to allow for a completely independent investigation.
The ADC also accused the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration of running a “government of cover-ups” and operating a system of “scandal insurance” for top political appointees.
The statement, signed by the ADC National Publicity Secretary and former Minister of Sports, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, stressed that the tragic demise of a citizen within a cabinet minister’s home transcends private grief and must be treated as an urgent matter of public accountability.
The ADC expressed deep concern over what it described as a “disturbing pattern” of shield and protection offered to key members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) administration when faced with heavy allegations.
Mallam Abdullahi stated:
”Every Nigerian life matters. But when a citizen dies in the home of a serving cabinet minister, the matter immediately transcends private tragedy and becomes a question of public accountability. The only acceptable response in a constitutional democracy is a thorough, transparent, and independent investigation.”
The party insisted that Senator David Umahi cannot continue to oversee one of the country’s most critical ministries while a highly sensitive, murder-related cloud hangs over him.
”This latest scandal is not just about financial crime; it is about the death of a young lady who reportedly died in the house of a senior Minister of this government,” Abdullahi added. “The least that should be expected is that the Minister, namely Senator David Umahi, should immediately step aside from office pending the conclusion of an independent investigation.”
The demand from the ADC comes amid rising public outrage and intense online speculation surrounding the circumstances under which Ms. Habila died.
Who was Mary Habila?
Ms. Mary Habila was a professional physiotherapist (often referred to as a nurse in initial reports). According to official statements from the Minister’s office, she and a colleague, Miss Anita Baski, were employees of the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences (DUFUHS), Uburu, in Ebonyi State.
The pair had reportedly been on secondment to the Federal Ministry of Works in Abuja for the past three years to serve as personal physiotherapists.
Questions began trailing the incident following reports that her body was found under highly unusual and mysterious circumstances within the Minister’s private quarters.
Advocacy groups, including the Nigerian Women International Alliance (NWIA), have since petitioned President Bola Tinubu, calling for a neutral and highly professional probe to preserve public trust.
In defense, the Minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Francis Nweze, released a statement clarifying that Senator Umahi had personally condoled with the family and recommended a scientific autopsy to establish the cause of death.
However, the media aide claimed that the deceased’s parents declined the autopsy recommendation at the time.
’We Reject Official Presumptions and Bias’
The ADC, however, remains unsatisfied with the narratives put forward by the Ministry. The party raised critical questions about the arrangement that placed the young lady in the Minister’s house to begin with:
What exactly was the nature of Ms. Habila’s official assignment?
Why was she residing in the Minister’s private residence?
What were the precise circumstances leading to her death?
What have law enforcement investigators established so far?
The opposition party emphasized that an autopsy must be conducted independently, outside the influence of the Executive branch of government, to avoid a compromised outcome.
”This inquiry must include a full autopsy to determine the exact cause of Ms. Habila’s death and a public report of its findings. Anything less will only deepen public suspicion and further erode confidence in our institutions,” the party warned.
Shifting its focus to the broader political landscape under the current administration, the ADC accused President Tinubu of prioritizing political convenience over justice.
”Appointees of President Tinubu sit pretty in their offices even as mind-blowing scandals swirl around them,” the statement read. “It has now become impossible to ignore the impression that this administration now operates a system of scandal insurance for its senior officials, and proximity to power appears to guarantee protection from accountability.”
The ADC concluded by extending its condolences to the bereaved Habila family, noting that their daughter deserves dignity, the family deserves the truth, and Nigeria deserves a government where accountability is treated as a fundamental public trust rather than an inconvenience.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Presidency nor the Ministry of Works has responded to the ADC’s call for Senator Umahi’s resignation.
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