There was pandemonium yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, as suspected hoodlums and political thugs destroyed the property of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Our correspondent gathered that the incident occurred as the party prepared for its state executives’ inauguration.
The suspected political thugs, who came in their numbers to the ADC state Secretariat located in the Basiri area of Ado Ekiti, ensured that anything they could lay their hands on, including chairs, tables, canopies, musical instruments, motorbikes, among others, was destroyed.
The ADC National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, condemned what he described as an undemocratic act while speaking in the town.
The former governor of Osun State, who made the remarks in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, said it is unfortunate and very shameful that products of the democratic process can exhibit such despicable acts in the name of politics.
It was gathered that the hoodlums came in the middle of the night to destroy a portion of the party secretariat and set ablaze about 1,150-capacity canopies. Later in the day, they returned to kill another set of chairs when the party was about to start the inauguration of the executives.
Several other properties worth millions of naira were also destroyed as gunshots rent the air, compelling members of the party to scamper for safety.
The former interior minister, who said it is difficult to adequately express his disappointment over the incident, called security agencies to ensure that lives and property are protected and restore order in the state.
Aregbesola, who further described the incident as a terrible decline to racism, said, “When you see undemocratic people undermining democratic process the way we have witnessed here, it is a terrible descent to racism”.
He pointed out that the beauty of democracy is the freedom to associate and participate in all the activities and festivals of democracy, such as open meetings, rallies, and campaigns.
Aregbesola called on Nigerians and the security agencies to rise to the occasion and exterminate undemocratic acts in Nigeria.
When contacted, the police public relations officer, PPRO, Ekiti State command, and Sunday Abutu, a superintendent of police, said the police commissioner has ordered an investigation into the matter to bring the perpetrators to book.
