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| ADC Office. |
Tension gripped Ado-Ekiti, the capital of Ekiti State, on Tuesday when suspected hoodlums set ablaze the Secretariat of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The incident, which occurred in the early hours of the day, completely gutted the party office located in the Basiri area of Ado-Ekiti, destroying valuable items such as plastic chairs, canopies, sound equipment, and office materials.
Reports revealed that the damaged chairs and canopies had been hired for the inauguration ceremony of the party’s executives at the ward, local government, and state levels, which was scheduled to take place later in the day.
A few hours after the secretariat was burnt, the same group of thugs allegedly regrouped and stormed the venue of the planned affirmation event, disrupting activities and assaulting party officials and supporters.
The attackers, who arrived in a coordinated, military-style manner, fired gunshots into the air, sending ADC members, journalists, and bystanders running for safety.
During the chaos, several vehicles and a motorcycle belonging to one of the journalists were severely vandalised, while chairs and canopies set up for the ceremony were destroyed beyond repair.
About fifteen minutes after the hoodlums escaped, the ADC National Secretary, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, arrived at the venue under tight security and proceeded with the inauguration of the newly affirmed executives.
Speaking with journalists after the brief ceremony, the former Minister strongly condemned the attack, describing it as a disgraceful act of intolerance and a serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy.
Aregbesola expressed regret that individuals who attained power through democratic means could turn to violence and intimidation to silence dissenting voices.
The former Osun State Governor stated that democracy thrives on the freedom of association and open political participation without fear or intimidation, noting that the attack on ADC members in Ekiti was a dangerous slide towards authoritarianism.
He also faulted the security agencies for failing to safeguard the ADC secretariat and its members, accusing them of neglecting their responsibility.
Former Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Prof. Kolapo Olusola-Eleka, also condemned the incident, labelling it an act of political terrorism.
He described the development as regrettable, calling it a major assault on democratic ideals and the right to political association. He lamented that such acts of violence were beginning to take root in Ekiti politics — a state previously celebrated for peace and tolerance.
Olusola-Eleka further criticised the police for what he called a poor and delayed response to the attack, claiming that officers failed to act despite receiving early reports.
“What has happened today in Ekiti state is what we call political terrorism and it is quite unfortunate this is happening in our state. This is against the principle of democracy that we are all preaching.
“We have made reports to the police through the state party chairman and let me say that we are let down by the security agencies because more than two hours after we made reports on the midnight attack on our secretariat, we observed that they were not there to protect the property and the people,” he said.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in Ekiti, SP Sunday Abutu, confirmed the incident.
He stated that the command was aware of the situation and that the Commissioner of Police, CP Joseph Eribo, had ordered a comprehensive investigation aimed at arresting the culprits and bringing them to justice.
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