The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has expressed grave concern over the increasing use of law enforcement agencies to harass and intimidate opposition leaders, while criminal violence continues to devastate communities across the country.
The party condemned the police summons issued to former governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, as well as the attack on the former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami’s convoy in Kebbi State, which left many party members injured and terrified.
In a statement signed by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the national publicity secretary of the ADC, the party described these developments as an assault not just on individual politicians, but on Nigeria’s democracy itself. It warned that the Nigeria Police Force had seemingly become a willing tool of political suppression for the federal government rather than a national security department, that is truly focused on rooting out bandits and other criminals across the country.
It added that at a time when terrorists and criminal gangs freely operate in large parts of the North, the Nigeria Police appeared more interested in silencing opposition leaders than protecting citizens.
The ADC said these acts by the police were not isolated, but represent a systematic attempt to criminalise opposition politics, especially in states where the ruling party feels threatened by the growing influence of the ADC.
