The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised the Kaduna State Police Command for its response to the violent disruption of the party’s inauguration in Kaduna, where members were allegedly attacked by armed thugs.
In a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the venue for the event had been duly booked, and the party had expected the police to reassure Nigerians that justice would be served.
“Instead, what we read was a troubling attempt to criminalise legitimate political activity, prejudge individuals, and cast the opposition in the light of lawlessness,” Abdullahi said.
He faulted the police for linking the ADC to “political gangsters” even while claiming to have commenced an investigation into the incident. According to him, investigations should establish facts before conclusions are drawn.
“When police act as judge and jury, it undermines both justice and democracy,” he noted.
Abdullahi also dismissed the command’s claim that the ADC gathering was “unauthorised,” stressing that the right to assemble peacefully is guaranteed by the Constitution and does not require police approval.
“A police notification is a matter of procedure and courtesy, not a licence to exercise constitutional rights,” he stated.
He further 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,” Abdullahi said.
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The ADC rejected all attempts to associate it with acts of violence it neither organised nor condoned, reaffirming its commitment to peaceful and issue-based politics.
The party also urged the Kaduna State Police Command to review its statement, conduct a transparent investigation, and explain why its officers were absent when ADC members and leaders were attacked.
