Security operatives from the Kaduna State Police Command sealed off the African Democratic Congress (ADC) office at No. 4 Ali Akilu Road, Kaduna, just hours before the party’s Northwest leadership was scheduled to visit on a commiseration mission.
The visit aimed to express solidarity with members who were violently attacked by political thugs last week. Eyewitnesses reported multiple police patrol vans surrounding the premises in an apparent effort to block access to the opposition party’s office.
A source confirmed that the ADC leadership in Kaduna State was to receive their Northwest counterparts following last week’s brutal attack on members by political thugs.”
OBSERVERS TIMES recalled that a group of thugs, allegedly hired by the state government, disrupted a joint transition meeting of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and ADC in Kaduna town, injuring several attendees.
The meeting, led under the guidance of Malam Nasir El-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna State, took place at the Conference Hall of NUT Endwell in Magadishu Layout. The attackers struck despite the presence of armed police deployed by the government. Several vehicles, including El-Rufai’s, sustained damage, and windows of the conference hall were broken.
Sources disclosed that the state government pressured several event centers to cancel bookings previously made by the opposition, indicating the potential for escalating political tensions between El-Rufai and his former protégé, Governor Uba Sani.
In response, Yusuf Shehu Bello, a prominent ADC member, has filed a suit against Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun and Kaduna State Commissioner of Police at the Federal High Court, Kaduna. The suit challenges recent police directives requiring political parties to seek prior approval before holding meetings in public venues.
Speaking to reporters, Bello’s lawyer, Barrister Farouk Dikko, described the order as unconstitutional and a violation of the right to association guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution.
“We seek judicial protection for our democratic rights. The police are mandated to ensure security and peaceful gatherings—not to suspend political activities,” Bello stressed.
