The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Kaduna State Police Command of bias and intimidation after its weekend inauguration in Kaduna was violently disrupted by armed thugs.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said the police failed to protect citizens and instead attempted to criminalise legitimate political activity.
“We expected reassurance that justice would be done and those responsible held to account. Instead, what we read was a troubling attempt to criminalise political activity, pre-judge individuals, and cast the opposition as lawless,” the ADC said.
The party faulted the police for linking it to ‘political gangsters’ while admitting that investigations were still ongoing. Abdullahi described this as contradictory and proof of bias rather than professionalism.
“It is contradictory for the police to announce an investigation and, in the same breath, rush to conclusions. When police act as judge and jury, it undermines both justice and democracy,” he said.
The ADC also dismissed police claims that its gathering was unauthorised, insisting that the Constitution guarantees the right to peaceful assembly.
“In a democracy, the right to assemble is guaranteed by the Constitution, not a State Police Command. To suggest otherwise is to turn citizens’ freedoms into privileges at the mercy of the state,” the statement read.
The party condemned threats to hold hotels and event centres liable for hosting political meetings without police approval, saying the directive amounts to intimidation of private citizens and businesses.
“That amounts to denying opposition parties access to spaces for lawful activity. No democracy thrives where access to venues is determined by the whims of security agencies,” it said.
It also criticised the suspension of so-called ‘unauthorised gatherings’ in Kaduna, warning that security agencies have no legal powers to proscribe lawful assemblies.
Burna Boy my number one artiste in Nigeria – 2Face
“To arrogate to themselves the power to decide which meetings may hold is to hand the police veto authority over democracy itself,” Abdullahi stated.
The ADC demanded that Kaduna police withdraw their statement, conduct a transparent investigation into the attack, and explain why officers allegedly abandoned their duty while its members were assaulted.
“Democracy is not a crime. Selective policing is. Still, we in the ADC will not be intimidated into silence,” the party added, urging Nigerians to resist growing acts of intimidation against the opposition by the ruling APC.
