The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of behaving like a terrorist group following a violent attack on its members during a gathering at a church in Alimosho, Lagos State, last week.
The event, attended by prominent party leaders including Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, who officially joined the ADC, was disrupted by suspected APC-sponsored thugs.
According to a statement by ADC National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the assailants invaded the church, attacked attendees, destroyed vehicles, and seized property.
The ADC condemned the incident as a desecration of a sacred space and a disturbing escalation in the APC’s alleged campaign of violence against opposition parties.
“The invasion of a church premises by government-backed political thugs is a profound act of desecration by a jittery ruling party who would stop at nothing to silence opposition voices in the country,” Abdullahi said.
The ADC warned that the Lagos incident was part of a disturbing pattern of intimidation across several states in recent weeks.
It cited earlier cases, including threats to its leaders in Edo, harassment in Kogi, the shutdown of a private radio station in Niger, attacks on meetings in Kaduna, and assault on convoys of party leaders in Kebbi.
“With this attack on a church, no one can predict how far this APC under President Tinubu is willing to go in its desperate quest to hold on to power at all costs,” the party said.
The ADC also recalled that a Canadian court had recently declared the APC a terrorist organisation, arguing that the only way for the ruling party to salvage its image was to stop attacks on the opposition.
“If churches and other places of worship are no longer regarded as inviolable by the APC goons, how then does the party intend to prove to the world that it is not indeed a terrorist organisation? After all, attacking places of worship is what terrorists do,” Abdullahi added.
The party urged the Nigeria Police Force to resist being used as an arm of the ruling party and to remain loyal to the constitution and the Nigerian people.
It called for the arrest and prosecution of those behind the Lagos violence and other attacks targeting ADC leaders nationwide.
“The police have a duty to ensure that justice is served swiftly and transparently to the perpetrators of the attack in Lagos, Kaduna, Kebbi, and all other states where ADC leaders have been threatened and assaulted. Nigerians are watching, and the credibility of our institutions is on trial before the whole world,” Abdullahi said.
The ADC maintained that violence was a confession of failure by the APC, saying the ruling party had chosen intimidation over presenting its record of achievements to Nigerians.
“The APC’s resort to violence and intimidation is a glaring confession of its failure. Rather than present a track record of achievements to the Nigerian people, the APC wants to bulldoze its way into another election season by eliminating opposition. This is the mark of dictatorship,” it said.
The party, however, vowed to remain committed to peaceful engagement with Nigerians while refusing to fold its arms in the face of attacks.
“We will remain undeterred. We are committed to engaging Nigerians peacefully, constructively, and courageously. But we will not fold our arms while our leaders are attacked and our gatherings are turned into battlegrounds. This must stop. And it must stop now,” the ADC declared.
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