The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of acting like a terrorist organisation after suspected political thugs invaded a church premises in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State, where the opposition party was holding a gathering.
Naija News reports that the event, attended by party leaders including Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, who formally declared his membership of the ADC, turned violent when hoodlums stormed the church, leaving several injured, vehicles destroyed, and property seized.
In a strongly worded statement on Sunday, ADC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, condemned the attack, describing it as a “new low” in APC’s campaign of intimidation.
“The invasion of a church premises by government-backed political thugs is a profound act of desecration by a jittery ruling party who would stop at nothing to silence opposition voices in the country,” Abdullahi said.
The party maintained that the incident amounted to a direct assault on religious sanctity.
The ADC claimed that the Lagos violence was part of a disturbing pattern of harassment against its members across Nigeria.
It cited earlier incidents, including threats to its leaders in Edo, harassment in Kogi, the shutdown of a private radio station in Niger, disruption of meetings in Kaduna, and attacks on convoys of its leaders in Kebbi.
The statement further stated, “With this attack on a church, no one can predict how far this APC under President Tinubu is willing to go in its desperate quest to hold on to power at all costs.”
The ADC recalled a recent ruling by a Canadian court that reportedly declared the APC a terrorist organisation, insisting the only way for the ruling party to salvage its image was to halt violent attacks on the opposition.
“If churches and other places of worship are no longer regarded as inviolable by the APC goons, how then does the party intend to prove to the world that it is not indeed a terrorist organisation? After all, attacking places of worship is what terrorists do,” Abdullahi said.
The ADC urged the Nigeria Police Force not to act as an extension of the ruling party but to remain loyal to the constitution. It demanded the arrest and prosecution of those behind the Lagos attack and other cases of political violence.
“The police have a duty to ensure that justice is served swiftly and transparently to the perpetrators of the attack in Lagos, Kaduna, Kebbi, and all other states where ADC leaders have been threatened and assaulted. Nigerians are watching, and the credibility of our institutions is on trial before the whole world,” the party stressed.
The ADC accused the APC of prioritising intimidation over performance.
“The APC’s resort to violence and intimidation is a glaring confession of its failure. Rather than present a track record of achievements to Nigerians, the APC wants to bulldoze its way into another election season by eliminating opposition. This is the mark of dictatorship,” the party declared.
The party added, “We will remain undeterred. We are committed to engaging Nigerians peacefully, constructively, and courageously. But we will not fold our arms while our leaders are attacked and our gatherings are turned into battlegrounds. This must stop. And it must stop now.”
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