ADC criticises Kaduna police over handling of violent attack on party inauguration

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised the Kaduna State Police Command over its response to the violent disruption of the party’s inauguration in Kaduna, where members were allegedly attacked by armed thugs.

In a statement on Sunday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the venue for the meeting had been duly booked and that ADC had expected the police to assure Nigerians that justice would be served.

“Instead, what we read was a troubling attempt to criminalise legitimate political activity, prejudge individuals, and cast the opposition as lawless,” Abdullahi said.

He faulted the police for linking ADC to “political gangsters” while simultaneously claiming that investigations into the attack were ongoing. According to him, investigations should establish facts before conclusions are drawn, adding that “when police act as judge and jury, it undermines both justice and democracy.”

Abdullahi also rejected the police’s claim that the ADC gathering was “unauthorised,” stressing that the right to peaceful assembly is constitutionally guaranteed and not subject to the approval of a state command.

“No democracy thrives where access to public or private venues is determined by the whims of security agencies,” he said, describing the blanket suspension of “unauthorised gatherings” announced by the Kaduna police as overreach.

The ADC spokesman said the party remains committed to peaceful, issue-based politics and rejected attempts to link it to violence.

He urged the police command to review its statement, conduct a transparent investigation, and explain why its officers were absent when ADC leaders and members came under attack.