BY AHMED AKANBI
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Federal Government and security agencies of failing to act on attacks against its members, warning that continued violence could force supporters to resort to self-defence.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, raised the alarm in an interview on Channels Television, saying the failure to condemn the attacks and hold perpetrators accountable could lead to retaliation and breakdown of law and order.
Abdullahi said the ADC has evidence of attacks, including the killing of a young man in Rivers State while organising a party meeting three days before the interview, and the attack on supporters in Kogi State who were left hospitalised.
He said the party can no longer continue asking its members to tolerate repeated attacks while government and security agencies fail to protect them.
”The least that the ruling party could do is to come out to condemn this violence. They have not done that,” Abdullahi said, urging the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the police to act against political violence.
He warned that continued inaction could push victims to self-help, with grave implications for peace and order.
The ADC spokesman said the party has not abandoned its commitment to non-violence, noting that its governance principles prohibit violence and its candidates have been instructed to avoid ethnic or religious incitement.
He linked the concerns to preparations for the 2027 general elections, saying political violence, voter intimidation and weak response from authorities threaten confidence in the process.
Abdullahi also questioned the credibility of the electoral system, saying he no longer trusts the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to protect votes without independent monitoring by parties.
Recalling his 2023 Senate contest in Kwara State, he said candidates relied on assurances of electronic transmission of results, but the failure to transmit due to a so-called technical glitch eroded confidence.
”We are no longer naive. We’ve seen what could happen. Whether deliberately or inadvertently, we can no longer trust INEC to protect our votes for us,” he said.
He said ADC would set up its own parallel system to collate polling unit results and compare with INEC’s declared figures, while acknowledging INEC’s legal mandate to announce results.