…Condemns arson attack on Ekiti secretariat
…Alleges coordinated violence across 5 states
By Luminous Jannamike
ABUJA—African Democratic Congress, ADC, has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, of engaging in political terrorism, following the burning of its state secretariat in Ado-Ekiti, on Monday.
The party described the incident as a deliberate attempt to silence opposition voices, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, ADC alleged that the early-morning arson attack formed part of a wider pattern of coordinated assaults on opposition figures and facilities across the country.
According to him, unknown assailants set fire to the building housing ADC’s Ekiti secretariat just hours before the party’s reconfiguration and affirmation ceremony, an event meant to renew commitment and consolidate its political structures.
“This was a deliberate act of arson intended to sabotage and terrorise the opposition ahead of the governorship election in the state.
“The ADC condemns this barbaric act in the strongest possible terms. It is criminal, anti-democratic, and a disgrace to all who claim to believe in political freedom,” Abdullahi said.
The party linked the Ekiti attack to similar incidents in Kaduna, Lagos, Kebbi, Kogi, and Edo states, alleging that the trend showed a sustained campaign of intimidation since July, when the opposition coalition adopted the ADC as its preferred platform.
“This latest incident is only a continuation of serial attacks on our members and infrastructure across the country. Our members and structures have faced a pattern of orchestrated aggression that should alarm every citizen who believes in the freedom to choose,” ADC stated.
It listed several past attacks, including assaults on party leaders in Alimosho, Lagos; a disrupted inauguration event in Kaduna; an attack on the convoy of ADC officials in Birnin Kebbi; the targeting of its secretariat in Dekina, Kogi; and alleged threats from the Edo State governor.
“Each of these cases could be dismissed as isolated acts of political miscreants. But taken together, five states, multiple incidents, one consistent target, they form a pattern too dangerous to ignore. This is no longer about partisanship, it is about the integrity of the political process itself,” the party said.
ADC criticised what it described as ‘deafening silence’ of democratic institutions in the face of political violence.
“Where is the outrage from those who claim to be custodians of our democracy? A system that looks away while opposition parties are violently suppressed is a system begging for crisis,” Abdullahi stated.
Abdullahi insisted that ADC would not be intimidated by such acts of aggression, saying the attacks reflected the ruling party’s fear of the ADC’s growing popularity.
He declared: “We are not victims. We are builders of a future that offers an alternative. We are being attacked because our message is resonating with Nigerians who are tired of the failures of the APC-led government.”
The party called on security agencies to investigate the attacks and bring the perpetrators to justice, and urged civil society organisations, INEC and international observers to monitor what it described as a ‘quiet war’ being waged against the opposition party.
Despite the destruction of its secretariat, the party vowed that its affirmation ceremony in Ekiti would proceed as planned.
“Even in ashes, we will continue to build and organise. Those who resort to fire do so only when they have run out of arguments,” ADC added.
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