The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned the burning of its Ekiti State Secretariat in Ado-Ekiti, describing the incident as a “deliberate act of political terrorism” targeted at silencing opposition voices ahead of the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said in a strongly worded statement on Tuesday that the attack, which took place in the early hours of Monday, 21st October, was “a criminal and anti-democratic act that must not go unpunished.”
“This was a deliberate act of arson intended to sabotage and terrorise the opposition ahead of the governorship election in the state,” Abdullahi said. “The ADC condemns this barbaric act in the strongest possible terms. It is a disgrace to all who claim to believe in political freedom.”
According to the ADC spokesman, the fire outbreak occurred just hours before the party’s scheduled Reconfiguration and Affirmation Ceremony an event meant to renew the party’s structures at the ward, local government, senatorial, and state levels.
Abdullahi alleged that the attack in Ekiti was part of a wider pattern of violence being unleashed on ADC members and infrastructure nationwide since the party became the preferred platform of the Opposition Coalition earlier in July.
“Since July, when the Opposition Coalition unveiled the ADC as its party of choice, our members and structures nationwide have faced a pattern of orchestrated aggression that should alarm every citizen who believes in democracy,” he said.
The ADC listed similar incidents in Kaduna, Lagos, Kebbi, Kogi, and Edo States, where its members reportedly suffered violent attacks or harassment.
“Each of these cases, on its own, could be dismissed as the actions of political miscreants. But taken together five states, multiple incidents, a 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,” Abdullahi stated.
The party criticised what it called “concerning silence” from democratic institutions, civil society, and political stakeholders over the growing attacks against opposition groups.
“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,” he added.
Abdullahi further claimed that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was afraid of the “rising wave of the ADC” as the party continues to gain grassroots support across Nigeria.
“We are being attacked because our message is resonating with the everyday Nigerian who is tired of the failures of the APC-led administration. The fire in Ekiti is further confirmation that the APC is afraid of the growing strength of the ADC,” he said.
The ADC called for an independent investigation into the arson, urging security agencies to identify and prosecute those responsible. It also appealed to civil society organisations, INEC, and international observers to pay closer attention to what it described as “a quiet war being waged against the only real opposition party left in Nigeria.”
Despite the setback, Abdullahi said the party would not be deterred.
“Despite the ashes, our Affirmation Ceremony in Ekiti will still proceed — whether in a hall or under a tree. Those who resort to fire do so only when they have run out of arguments,” he declared.
The Ekiti State Police Command has yet to issue an official statement regarding the attack as of the time of this report.
