ADC berates Kaduna police over handling of attack on party inauguration

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised the Kaduna State Police Command for its handling of the violent disruption of the party’s inauguration in the state, where members were allegedly attacked by armed thugs.

In a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the venue for the event had been duly booked, dismissing the police claim that the gathering was unauthorised.

Abdullahi expressed disappointment that rather than reassuring Nigerians that justice would be served and perpetrators brought to book, the police issued what he described as “a troubling attempt to criminalise legitimate political activity, prejudge individuals, and cast the opposition in the light of lawlessness.”

He faulted the command’s statement, which linked the ADC to “political gangsters” even while claiming to have commenced investigations into the incident.

“Investigations should establish facts before conclusions are drawn. When police act as judge and jury, it undermines both justice and democracy,” Abdullahi said.

He further criticised the police stance that the ADC meeting was unauthorised, stressing that in a democracy, the right to peaceful assembly is guaranteed by the Constitution and does not require approval from a state police command.

“A police notification is a matter of procedure and courtesy, not a licence to exercise a constitutional right,” he said, adding that democracy cannot thrive where access to public or private venues is determined by security agencies.

Abdullahi also condemned the blanket suspension of “unauthorised gatherings” announced by the police, describing it as an overreach.

“Security agencies are to protect lawful assemblies, not proscribe them. To arrogate to themselves the power to decide which political meetings may hold is to hand the police veto authority over democracy itself,” he said.

The ADC rejected what it called attempts to link it to acts of violence, reiterating its commitment to peaceful, issue-based politics.

The party also demanded that the Kaduna Police Command review its statement, conduct a transparent investigation, and explain why officers were absent when its members came under attack.