The African Democratic Congress Northwest Zone has condemned what it described as a “violent and coordinated attack” on its members in Kaduna State, calling for the immediate arrest and prosecution of perpetrators.
It warned against what it termed the “creeping slide into dictatorship.”
Malam Lawal Batagarawa, a former Minister of State for Defence and chieftain of the party while addressing an “emergency” press conference held at ex-governor Nasir El-Rufai’s Kaduna residence on Thursday, said the attack occurred during the inauguration of the ADC Coalition Transition Committee at the NUT Endwell Conference Centre, Kaduna, on Saturday, August 30, 2025, around 11 a.m.
According to him, the assault, allegedly carried out by “sponsored political thugs,” left several members injured and properties destroyed, with lives “gravely endangered.”
“Such deliberate acts of political brutality represent a dangerous slide into lawlessness and authoritarianism.
“We cannot remain silent in the face of this clear and present danger to our lives, property, and hard-earned democracy,” Batagarawa said.
Flanked by El-Rufai and former governor of Sokoto, Aminu Tambuwal, the former Defence Minister, accused the Nigeria Police Force and the Kaduna State Government of complicity, alleging that the police failed to protect party members and, in some instances, appeared to aid the attackers.
“Instead of protecting lives and property, the police were slow to act, and reports suggest they aided the attackers rather than restrain them,” he said.
The ADC chieftain also condemned what he called “unconstitutional directives” by security agencies banning political party meetings in hotels, conference halls, and other public spaces across Kaduna state.
“Let it be clear: no security agency has the power to unilaterally suspend the rights of citizens to freedom of assembly and association. Such actions are a direct violation of the Constitution and an affront to democracy,” he added.
The party further alleged that the incident in Kaduna was part of a broader pattern of intolerance across the Northwest.
Batagarawa cited the September 1 attack on the convoy of former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, in Kebbi State, and the September 2 disruption of a meeting by Katsina elders under the Katsina State Security Initiative as evidence of “state-sponsored political violence.”
“This pattern of intolerance is a clear and present danger to our democracy. There cannot be democracy where citizens are attacked for simply coming together to express their views,” Batagarawa warned.
Consequently, according to Batagarawa, the ADC demanded, “a thorough investigation into the August 30 Kaduna attack, arrest and prosecution of attackers and their sponsors, a probe into police conduct during the incident; lifting of restrictions on political meetings across the state and an end to harassment and intimidation of opposition parties.”
He noted that the party would pursue legal and political avenues to challenge what he described as “descent into anarchy” under the ruling APC government.
“A government that uses state resources, security agencies, and violence to suppress political opponents is a dangerous threat to its own people. We will resist any attempt to foist a one-party dictatorship on this country,” he said.
Batagarawa said the ADC remained committed to peaceful political engagement but would not “fold its arms while democracy is trampled upon.”
