By George Mgbeleke
Pro-democracy and civil rights advocacy group: HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has blamed the All Progressives Congress and their state governor’s for arming and motivating thugs to unleash violence on leaders of opposition political parties to such an extent that their central purpose is to foist a one-party system in the country by violent means.

In a statementsigned by National Coordinator ComradenEmmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko”HURIWA has watched with considerable consternation and disappointment with the heads of security forces in Nigeria and especially the Nigerian police Force, the Department of State Services, the Nigerian Civil Defence Corps as they watched helplessly whilst apparently armed political thugs drafted by the All Progressives Congress purportedly working to ensure that only the APC operates seamlessly in their domains, have violently attacked leaders of especially the African Democratic Congress perceived as the strongest political opposition party to the ruling All Progressives Congress which has successfully deployed moles and saboteurs within the Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party to destroy their structures and fictionalised them to weakened their readiness to confront the incumbent president in the 2027 poll.

“The failure of these publicly funded security services to effectively protect opposition politicians whilst they set up their offices un those states, shows that the governors and the president who command and controls the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is in the know and may have subtly approved this anti-democratic attacks especially against the ADC. We condemn these attacks and we are warning that these attacks may precipitate widespread violence since no single political party has the monopoly of violence. The earlier President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directs and ensures that multiparty democracy thrives in Nigeria, the better or else we forget about a violence free 2027 poll. A stitch in time saves nine”. These attacks have happened in Efo, Cross Rivers, Borno, Kaduna and the street urchins armed by the APC are spreading these attacks.”

HURIWA recalled that suspected political thugs disrupted the planned opening of an African Democratic Congress secretariat on Saturday in Bakassi Local Government Area, Cross Rivers State.

According to reports, the attackers stormed the venue, dispersing party supporters and destroying canopies, loudspeakers, chairs, and other equipment arranged for the ceremony.

A video circulating on social media showed a group of youths forcefully dismantling the setup while shouting that the ADC would not be allowed to operate in the council area.

In the footage, a man believed to be leading the group was heard ordering others to scatter everything as they (ADC) were nowhere to be found when they (APC) were busy fixing the council area.

Confirming the incident, the Cross River State Police Command described the perpetrators as hoodlums and said officers were deployed to restore order.

The command’s spokesman, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, said in a statement released on Sunday that the event was about to commence when “the hoodlums from nowhere came and scattered the canopies, chairs and sound systems.”

He, however, said the situation had been brought under control to prevent snowballing into a full-blown crisis.

“Officers and tactical team are at the scene. The event couldn’t continue again. In such a chaotic situation, and considering the volatile nature of the area, for now, no arrests have been made,” he stated.

It would be recalled that similar situations played out on Tuesday when the party’s activity was disrupted in Calabar.

The disruption led the ADC to raise the alarm over what it described as an attempt to hijack the structure of the party in the state.

Besides, few weeks back Presidential candidate of Labour Party in 2023, Mr.Peter Obi, erstwhile National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Odigie-Oyegun, and some chieftains of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) were, attacked by suspected thugs in Edo State.

The hoodlums allegedly stormed the party secretariat, destroying facilities and injuring party members. Some plastic chairs and canopies were damaged during the incident, though no casualties were recorded.

The attackers reportedly moved to the residence of Odigie-Oyegun shortly after a political event in the state capital. Oyegun had led other ADC leaders, including Obi, to receive the former Labour Party (LP) candidate in the 2024 gubernatorial election in the state, Olumide Akpata, into the party at the time of the incident.

Obi’s former campaign spokesman and National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr Yunusa Tanko, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja.

The statement reads: “Peter Obi and the leadership of the ADC are under siege and attack in Benin, Edo State. At the formal declaration of Akpata into the ADC, armed individuals followed us from the party secretariat to the residence of John Odigie-Oyegun.

“They shot at the gate and destroyed several vehicles in what appears to be an assassination attempt on our lives. Democracy is in danger.”

Meanwhile, in photos and videos sent by Tanko, several SUV windscreens were smashed, while the gate leading to Odigie-Oyegun’s residence was riddled with bullets.

The alleged attack has heightened the political tensions in the state.
A video circulating online captures the aftermath of the incident, showing several vehicles and the estate gate riddled with bullet holes.

The incident comes barely 24 hours after the ADC candidate in the Abuja Municipal Area Council chairmanship election, Dr Moses Paul, and the Obidient Movement, on Monday, rejected the outcome of the February 21 poll, alleging widespread irregularities, insisting that the declared results did not reflect the true will of the people.

HOWEVER, Akpata, who was handed the party card by the ADC state chairman, Kennedy Odion, said he took the decision after Obi joined the party on December 31, 2025, to add value.

Akpata expressed gratitude for the warm reception, thanking the ADC for its belief in a new Nigeria and the Obidient Movement for its steadfastness.

In his remarks during the event, Obi expressed commitment to a new Nigeria, adding: “Our commitment to a new Nigeria is total, though they are doing everything possible to stop us.

“We must build a nation that works for all, not a few. This country is currently working for a few; it shouldn’t be so, we are all Nigerians.

“As a matter of fact, we must move this country from the status of consumption to production.”
Earlier, in his welcome remarks, Odion, who thanked Obi for his steadfastness, said the party is committed to building a new Nigeria.

Oyegun, on his part, said: “Our stocks are growing every day, not just in number but in quality. Nigeria is a nation that needs to be saved.”

Prof. Osunbor, who expressed optimism that the Oyegun-led coalition would lead ADC to victory in 2027, added: “Oyegun led the coalition in 2013 that led APC to victory in 2015, and he is leading the coalition now under ADC to lead us to victory in 2027. He is someone who has always led a coalition to victory. We are sure he is going to lead this coalition to victory.”

Also, HURIWArecalled vividly that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned the violent attack on the inauguration of its Transition Committee Members (TCMs) in Maiduguri, Borno State, describing the incident as an assault on democracy and constitutional rights.

The party said the attack was a direct violation of its internal democratic process and an attempt to suppress opposition activities in the state.

The condemnation was made on Friday by the Chairman of the ADC Transition, Registration and Mobilisation Committee (TRMC) in Borno State, Alhaji Ali Bukar Wurge, during a briefing in Maiduguri.

Wurge said the attack was aimed at continuing efforts to “stifle and frustrate” party members from democratically electing their leaders at the state and local government levels.

He said: “This was born out of blood and wreckage of democracy by those who claim to uphold and practise it.

“We strongly condemn the cowardly acts of political terrorism orchestrated by desperate politicians and their criminal syndicates during our inauguration of the ADC transition committee in Maiduguri.”
Wurge added that the violence went beyond a protest, describing it as an organised attempt to undermine the orderly democratic process of electing credible leaders at the state and council levels.

According to him, “This was not a protest, but an orchestrated violence against democracy and good governance, denying the people the right to elect their leaders in Borno State.”

He further alleged that the dozens of thugs involved in Friday’s attack acted on the orders of a political despot bent on suppressing opposition voices in the state.

HURIWA calls on the president to direct the police and other security for es to provide adequate security to leaders and members of a political parties to operate and move freely in all parts of Nigeria or else the other opposition parties may take steps to enforce their self defence because Nigeria belongs to all Nigerians and not to APC and their armed thugs.