The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Kaduna State Police Command of being used by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to intimidate opposition parties, following Saturday’s attack on its leaders and members during a meeting in Kaduna.
In a statement issued on Sunday by its interim National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party condemned the police for what it described as an attempt to criminalise “legitimate political activity, pre-judge individuals, and portray the opposition as lawless.”
The ADC alleged that thugs invaded and disrupted its meeting, leaving several members injured, but said rather than reassure the public, the police rushed to brand the party “political gangsters” while simultaneously announcing an investigation into the attack.
“This contradiction exposes the statement as more political than professional,” the party said. “Investigations should establish facts before conclusions are drawn; when police act as judge and jury, it undermines both justice and democracy.”
Rejecting the police’s claim that the gathering was “unauthorised,” the ADC stressed that the right to peaceful assembly is guaranteed by the Constitution.
“A police notification is a matter of procedure and courtesy, not a license to exercise a constitutional right,” the statement read. “To suggest otherwise is to turn citizens’ freedoms into privileges at the mercy of the state.”
The party also criticised a warning by the command that hotels and event centres could be held liable for hosting political meetings without police approval, calling it “ludicrous” and “an act of intimidation” that could deny opposition parties access to lawful spaces.
“It is not the role of security agencies to proscribe lawful assemblies. To give the police veto power over political meetings is to hand them authority over democracy itself,” the ADC said.
While reaffirming its commitment to peaceful, issue-based politics, the party demanded that the police revisit its statement, launch a transparent investigation, and explain why officers allegedly abandoned their duty during the attack.
“Democracy is not a crime. Selective policing is. We will not be intimidated into silence,” the statement read. “We also call on all citizens to reject the growing acts of violence and intimidation against opposition parties by the ruling APC at all levels.”
