The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, of “acting like a terrorist organisation.” This is coming after an attack on its members at a church premises in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State last week, a gathering that was attended by party leaders, including Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, who formally declared his membership of the opposition party.
Reacting via a press statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said that political thugs believed to be sponsored by the ruling party invaded the church venue, killing people, destroying vehicles and seizing property.
According to him, the incident completely desecrated the place of worship, and it represents a new low in the APC’s campaign of violence against the opposition.
Bolaji described the APC as a jittery party that would stop at nothing to silence opposition voices in Nigeria.
“The invasion of a church premises by government-backed political thugs is a profound act of desecration by a jittery ruling party who would stop at nothing to silence opposition voices in the country,” it read.
The ADC further noted that the Lagos incident is part of a disturbing pattern of intimidation across several states in recent weeks.
The party concluded by citing other clear cases of intimidation against the ADC, including threats to its leaders in Edo, harassment in Kogi, the shutdown of a private radio station in Niger, attacks on meetings in Kaduna, and assaults on convoys of party leaders in Kebbi.
“With this attack on a church, no one can predict how far this APC under President Tinubu is willing to go in its desperate quest to hold on to power at all costs.
If churches and other places of worship are no longer regarded as inviolable by the APC goons, how then does the party intend to prove to the world that it is not indeed a terrorist organisation? After all, attacking places of worship is what terrorists do.
The police have a duty to ensure that justice is served swiftly and transparently to the perpetrators of the attack in Lagos, Kaduna, Kebbi, and all other states where ADC leaders have been threatened and assaulted. Nigerians are watching, and the credibility of our institutions is on trial before the whole world.
The APC’s resort to violence and intimidation is a glaring confession of its failure. Rather than present a track record of achievements to the Nigerian people, the APC wants to bulldoze its way into another election season by eliminating opposition. This is the mark of dictatorship.
We will remain undeterred. We are committed to engaging Nigerians peacefully, constructively, and courageously. But we will not fold our arms while our leaders are attacked and our gatherings are turned into battlegrounds. This must stop. And it must stop now,” it added.
