Demands Police Account for Attacks, Faults INEC Silence
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has warned that continued attacks on opposition members could push the party towards self-help, declaring that “we are getting close” to a point where its supporters may no longer be willing to tolerate repeated violence.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, issued the warning on Monday in Abuja while demanding that the Nigeria Police Force publicly account for investigations into alleged attacks on opposition meetings, members and facilities ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Abdullahi said the ADC had documented incidents involving alleged political violence, intimidation, destruction of party property and attacks on its members between July 2025 and September 2026 across Kaduna, Kebbi, Ekiti, Cross River, Rivers, Edo, Osun, Kogi and Enugu states. The party said responsibility for the incidents had not been conclusively established in every case.
He said the frequency of the reported incidents, coupled with what the party described as inadequate responses from security agencies, was raising concerns about the environment in which the 2027 elections would be conducted.
“The Nigerian Police is not APC police; it is the police of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Abdullahi said, insisting that every political party should be allowed to hold meetings, campaign and conduct lawful activities without intimidation.
He cited the February 2026 attack on the ADC secretariat in Benin City, Edo State, as well as reported gunshots at the residence of former Edo State governor and former APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun.
According to him, although the police announced investigations into the incidents, the ADC was yet to be informed of any arrest, prosecution or outcome.
Abdullahi also alleged that an ADC member identified as Kamadiyoi was killed three days before the press conference when party members preparing for a political meeting in Community Ward One, Odua Local Government Area of Rivers State, were attacked.
He further alleged that opposition gatherings in Enugu and Kogi were disrupted, with some members sustaining injuries.
The ADC spokesman therefore challenged the Inspector-General of Police to make public the status of investigations into the reported incidents.
“People have been killed, people have been maimed, properties have been burned and destroyed. Police say they are investigating, so we want to know the status of the investigations they have conducted,” he said.
Abdullahi said the party was particularly concerned that failure to protect political participants could create conditions in which individuals resorted to self-help.
Asked at what point the ADC might direct its members to defend themselves against further attacks, he said: “We are getting close. We are getting close.”
He, however, stressed that the party remained committed to peace and had directed its members not to engage in violence or inflammatory rhetoric.
“We will do whatever it takes to protect the peace. We will do whatever it takes to keep our members under control,” Abdullahi said.
He added: “But the only way we can guarantee that when we talk to them, they will listen is that they see that we are standing up for them, that we are fighting for them, and that we can actually fight for them.”
The ADC spokesman warned that continued failure by security agencies to protect citizens could encourage people to resort to self-help.
“When the police send the signal that they are not capable of protecting you, then they are asking you to resort to self-help,” he said.
“We are getting close. We cannot ask our people to continue to turn the other cheek when they are being slapped all the time. We are not pastors or imams. We are not running a religious organisation. We are running a political party.”
ADC Faults INEC
Abdullahi also criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over what he described as silence on alleged attacks against opposition parties.
He argued that although INEC was primarily responsible for organising elections, the commission also had a responsibility to speak up when violence threatened the ability of political parties to participate freely.
“I’m only interested in INEC to the extent that INEC has a responsibility to step up and speak up on this violence against opposition political parties,” he said.
According to him, an electoral umpire promising free and fair elections should be concerned about the conditions under which political parties operate before election day.
“If we are concerned, INEC will be concerned because if you are an electoral umpire and you have promised to deliver free and fair election, and the table is being turned against a participant in the election, then you have not said anything that you can claim to be fair,” he said.
He went further to describe INEC’s silence as “complicity”, arguing that neutrality in the face of alleged unequal treatment could undermine confidence in the electoral process.
INEC has already published its timetable for the 2027 elections, with the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, and the governorship and State House of Assembly elections for February 6, 2027.
ADC Raises Concern Over State Police
On the proposed establishment of state police, Abdullahi said the ADC was monitoring developments in the National Assembly.
He said the party was not opposed to strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture but was concerned that state-controlled police structures could potentially be used against opposition parties if adequate safeguards were not established.
“We have the concern that you have, and all along, the argument against state police is not that we don’t need state police to strengthen Nigeria’s security system, it is that the state police can be weaponized against opposition political parties,” he said.
He said ADC lawmakers were following the legislative process and would announce the party’s position when appropriate.
ADC: No Violence From Our Members
Abdullahi said the opposition party was also taking steps to prevent its members from contributing to political tension.
He disclosed that ADC had imposed rules prohibiting its members from engaging in violence or making statements capable of promoting ethnic or religious divisions.
“For us as a party, we’ve told all our members that as long as you are in ADC, you cannot engage in violence and you cannot make statements and rhetoric that promote violence or divisions along ethnic and religious lines,” he said.
He said the party’s position was contained in its policy document, the “Orange Book”, which commits the ADC to rejecting violence.
“What are we asking for? We are asking for the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to be enforced. That’s all we are asking for,” he said.
The ADC spokesman said the party was documenting reported incidents, including dates, locations, witness accounts, photographs, videos, medical records and complaints submitted to security agencies.
He said the records would be used in petitions and possible legal proceedings, while the party would also engage institutions including the National Human Rights Commission, ECOWAS, the African Union and relevant civil society and judicial bodies.
Abdullahi said ADC National Chairman, Senator David Mark, had directed party candidates to avoid divisive rhetoric and conduct capable of inflaming ethnic or religious tensions.
He also urged the Federal Government and the APC to publicly condemn attacks against opposition parties.
The ADC further called on international election observers and development partners to assess Nigeria’s electoral environment beyond election day, arguing that the freedom of parties to organise meetings, campaign and mobilise supporters before voting was an important part of the electoral process.
Abdullahi maintained that the party would continue to pursue its complaints through lawful channels, while warning that failure to address alleged political violence could undermine confidence in the 2027 elections.
“We are keeping records. We are documenting every single incident,” he said.
