The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised the Kaduna State Police Command for its handling of the recent attack on the party’s inauguration event.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the party accused the police of attempting to “criminalise legitimate political activity” while failing to protect its members from armed thugs.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, faulted the police press release for what he called a “troubling attempt to pre-judge individuals.”
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He argued that the police’s statement was more “political than professional” because it linked the ADC to “political gangsters” even as it claimed an investigation was just beginning.
Abdullahi also rejected the police’s assertion that the gathering was “unauthorised.”
He emphasised that the right to peaceful assembly is guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution, not by the police command, and that a police notification is merely a procedural courtesy.
He said the suggestion that police approval is required to exercise a constitutional right turns citizens’ freedoms into “privileges at the mercy of the state.”
Abdullahi further condemned the police threat to hold hotels and event centres liable for hosting political meetings without prior police approval.
He labelled this as a form of intimidation designed to deny opposition parties access to venues for lawful activities.
Abdullahi also took issue with the police’s “blanket suspension” of “unauthorised gatherings,” which he described as an overreach of authority that gives the police veto power over democracy itself.
He demanded that the Police Command retract its statement, conduct a transparent investigation, and explain why its officers allegedly failed to protect party members during the attack.
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“Democracy is not a crime. Selective policing is,” Abdullahi said.
He pledged that the party will not be silenced and called on citizens to reject growing acts of violence and intimidation against opposition parties.
