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By Myke Agunwa
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has expressed grave concern over the increasing use of law enforcement agencies to harass and intimidate opposition leaders, while criminal violence continues to devastate communities across the country.
The party described as politically motivated, the police summons issued to former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, as well as the attack on the former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami’s convoy in Kebbi State, which left many party members injured.
In a statement signed by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC on Friday, the party described these developments as an assault not just on individual politicians, but on Nigeria’s democracy itself. It warned that the Nigeria Police Force has seemingly become a willing tool of political suppression for the federal government rather than a national security department, that is truly focused on rooting out bandits and other criminals across the country.
ADC expressed concerns that “at a time when terrorists and criminal gangs freely operate in large parts of the North, the Nigerian Police appears more interested in silencing opposition leaders than protecting citizens. After the recent attack in Kaduna, where the former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and other ADC leaders were attacked; in Kebbi, the convoy of former Minister for Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN) was violently attacked in broad daylight around the GRA area of Birnin Kebbi—barely meters from a police outpost. Despite the seriousness of the attack, no arrests have been made, and the perpetrators remain at large.
“This growing trend is disturbing — and all Nigerians should take note. In Kaduna, the police reportedly looked away as thugs—armed with stones and cutlasses—attacked a peaceful ADC gathering. Instead of arresting those responsible, the police are now targeting the victims with summons.
“Every hour spent harassing El-Rufai and shutting down ADC offices is an hour not spent confronting the terrorists and criminals destroying lives across the North, and the urban bandits destroying the nation”.
The coalition party also alleged that “police authorities in Kaduna sealed off the ADC party offices ahead of a planned meeting of zonal leaders—a deliberate attempt to stifle our constitutional right to assemble and organize.
“These acts by the police are not isolated. They represent a systematic attempt to criminalize opposition politics, especially in states where the ruling party feels threatened by the growing influence of the ADC”.
The ADC calls on the Federal Government and the Inspector General of Police to immediately withdraw the politically motivated summons issued to Nasir El-Rufai and other ADC leaders in Kaduna State. These invitations they said, are not about justice or security, but for silencing dissent and should therefore be halted without delay.
The party demanded that the police authorities unseal the ADC office in Kaduna State, and stop the illegal obstruction of lawful political activity. It added that no democracy can thrive where opposition party structures are routinely shut down under vague pretexts.
Among other demands, the party said that “The Nigerian Police must also publish the names of those who filed complaints that triggered these recent investigations and summons. The public deserves to know who is behind these attacks on political freedom, and what interests they serve.
“We further demand that security agencies arrest and prosecute those responsible for the attack on Abubakar Malami’s convoy in Kebbi State, as well as the violent thugs who disrupted our stakeholders’ meeting in Kaduna. The failure to bring these perpetrators to justice only emboldens further violence.
“In addition, we call for an internal disciplinary process within the police to investigate officers who were present during these incidents but failed to act. Those who stood by and allowed political violence to occur should not be wearing the uniform of the Nigerian state”.
ADC urged the Federal Government to redirect the focus of the Nigeria Police toward their primary duty— protecting the lives and property of all Nigerians, instead of being used as a tool of political manipulation.