The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of promoting and sponsoring political violence across the country, alleging that its members were responsible for attacks on opposition parties and their supporters.
The council described as hypocritical and diversionary a statement by the APC Presidential Campaign Council condemning attacks on opposition parties during their political gatherings.
In a statement signed by its Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, the ADC-PCC challenged the ruling party to take responsibility for the rising cases of political violence and call its members to order.
It accused the APC and the administration of President Bola Tinubu of creating an atmosphere of political intimidation, insisting that the ruling party could not distance itself from the violence allegedly targeting opposition parties.
“The APC cannot pretend to be a victim of the very violence it has nurtured, funded and unleashed on Nigerians since it came to power,” the council said.
Citing alleged incidents in Edo, Cross River, Gombe and Lagos states, the ADC-PCC claimed that APC supporters had disrupted opposition gatherings, attacked supporters, destroyed campaign materials and subsequently issued public statements condemning political violence.
The council also accused APC governors of using state power to frustrate opposition activities through the denial of rally venues, demolition of opposition party offices, physical attacks on members and destruction of their vehicles.
It further alleged that restrictions on campaign posters, candidates’ billboards and public political activities, including the imposition of prohibitive fees, were part of efforts to suppress opposition campaigns.
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The ADC-PCC specifically blamed the APC for the disruption of Thursday’s scheduled town hall meeting of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Lagos, describing the incident as part of an alleged pattern of political intimidation and sabotage.
“The disruption of Thursday’s scheduled town hall meeting of the Nigeria Democratic Congress in Lagos bears the unmistakable fingerprints of the APC,” it alleged.
The council maintained that opposition parties had continued to engage Nigerians on critical national issues, including hunger, insecurity, unemployment and corruption, while accusing the APC of resorting to violence because it had little to offer the electorate.
It also questioned the APC-PCC’s condemnation of political attacks, recalling alleged incidents involving the destruction of ADC billboards, disruption of its rallies and physical assaults on its members.
“Where was the APC’s condemnation when our billboards were destroyed, our rallies disrupted and our members brutalised?” the council queried.
It disclosed that the party was compiling records of alleged attacks against its members and would submit appropriate reports to relevant international judicial and human rights institutions.
Dismissing the APC’s condemnation as hollow and self-serving, the council urged Nigerians not to be deceived by what it described as an attempt by the ruling party to evade responsibility for the prevailing political atmosphere.
The ADC-PCC, however, reaffirmed its commitment to peaceful and issue-based campaigns ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting that alleged intimidation and violence would not stop its mobilisation efforts.
“The ADC remains committed to a peaceful, issue-based campaign. We will not be intimidated. We will not be silenced. No amount of APC-sponsored violence will stop Nigerians from voting for competence, integrity and a new beginning in 2027,” the statement added.
