The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of sponsoring attacks on opposition parties across the country, describing its condemnation of political violence as an attempt to divert attention from its alleged involvement.
The council warned that the alleged attacks on opposition members and political gatherings posed a serious threat to democratic freedom and could undermine the ability of political parties to campaign freely ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The ADC-Presidential Campaign Council made the allegations in a statement signed by its Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, in reaction to a statement by the APC Presidential Campaign Council condemning attacks on opposition parties during their political activities.
It challenged the ruling party to demonstrate genuine commitment to peaceful political engagement by calling its members to order and taking responsibility for the alleged violence.
“The APC cannot pretend to be a victim of the very violence it has nurtured, funded and unleashed on Nigerians since it came to power. From Edo to Cross River, from Gombe to Lagos, the pattern is the same: APC thugs disrupt opposition gatherings, attack innocent supporters, destroy campaign materials and then rush to the press to shed crocodile tears,” the council stated.
The ADC campaign council specifically linked the disruption of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) town hall meeting scheduled for Thursday in Lagos to what it described as the APC’s pattern of political intimidation and sabotage.
According to the council, the incident reflected an alleged strategy of disrupting opposition activities before issuing public statements condemning the resulting violence.
“The disruption of Thursday’s scheduled town hall meeting of the Nigeria Democratic Congress in Lagos bears the unmistakable fingerprints of the APC.
“It is the same old script: orchestrate violence, intimidate the opposition, disrupt their activities and then issue public condemnations to cover up,” it alleged.
Beyond the Lagos incident, the council accused APC-controlled state governments of frustrating opposition activities through the alleged denial of rally venues, demolition of party offices, physical attacks on members and destruction of campaign vehicles.
It also alleged that restrictions on campaign posters, candidates’ billboards and other political activities, alongside the imposition of excessive fees, were being used to undermine opposition campaigns.
The ADC-PCC maintained that while opposition parties were engaging Nigerians on critical national issues, including hunger, insecurity, unemployment, corruption and governance under President Bola Tinubu, the ruling party was allegedly resorting to intimidation because of its inability to convince voters with its performance.
The council also questioned the APC’s recent condemnation of political violence, recalling alleged attacks on its members, destruction of billboards, disruption of rallies and physical assaults on supporters.
“Where was the APC’s condemnation when our billboards were destroyed, our rallies disrupted and our members brutalised?
“Their sudden concern is not about peace; it is about diverting attention from their own atrocities,” the statement added.
The opposition campaign council called on President Bola Tinubu to heed the advice of elder statesman, Professor Jerry Gana, and ensure that political activities across the country were conducted in an atmosphere of peace, tolerance and democratic freedom.
It further disclosed that the ADC was compiling records of alleged attacks against its members and would forward relevant reports to appropriate international judicial and human rights institutions.
Despite the allegations, the council reaffirmed its commitment to peaceful and issue-based campaigns, insisting that intimidation and political violence would not derail its mobilisation efforts ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“No amount of APC-sponsored violence will stop Nigerians from voting for competence, integrity and a new beginning in 2027,” the council declared.
The allegations against the APC were made by the ADC Presidential Campaign Council and have not been independently established.
