Suspected thugs on Saturday disrupted the inauguration of the transition committee members of the coalition of opposition parties under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Kaduna State, attacking participants and vandalising property.
The committee brought together members of an All Progressives Congress (APC) faction opposed to the state leadership alongside the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Labour Party (LP), and the ADC.
The inauguration held in Kaduna descended into violence when hoodlums armed with cutlasses, clubs, and stones disrupted the proceedings, eyewitnesses said.
Despite the attacks, the inauguration continued, though under tense and volatile conditions.
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, who attended the event, condemned the attack, calling it “a dangerous descent into lawlessness”.
He expressed outrage at the reported inaction of policemen deployed to the scene, accusing them of complicity in the mayhem.
He warned that political thuggery in the state must be stopped, alleging that senior police officers at the scene, including an Assistant Commissioner of Police, “stood by and watched” as the violence unfolded.
“If the authorities don’t end the introduction of thuggery into Kaduna politics, God help us. Nobody has a monopoly on violence or thugs.
“We will take decisive steps to ensure this does not repeat itself,” El-Rufai said.
He also vowed to escalate the matter to the Police Service Commission, claiming that the police had violated regulations by failing to intervene.
But the Kaduna State Police Command blamed El-Rufa’i for the incident, stating that the former governor failed to notify the police and other relevant security agencies about the meeting, despite repeated warnings and advice.
In a statement, the command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, said it had commenced an extensive investigation into the alleged political violence meeting hosted by El Rufai and the shooting incidents by political thugs and other sundry.
According to the police,” the incident occurred after a political gathering purportedly organised by a political party, ADC coalition, without prior notification to the police and other relevant security agencies, despite repeated warnings and advice”.
The police also said that the situation was further complicated by the presence of high-profile dignitaries in the state at the time.
The police statement partly read, “The Command wishes to state categorically that the investigation is ongoing, and anyone found culpable, irrespective of his personality and no matter how highly placed an individual is, will face the full weight of the law.
“Furthermore, the Command strongly warns that any hotel, event centre, or similar facility that permits political meetings or gatherings without prior notification to the police or other relevant security agencies will equally be held liable.
“This measure is to ensure due process is followed and to prevent thugs or miscreants from hijacking such gatherings to cause mayhem or breakdown of law and order.”
Group Tackles Ex-Gov
Meanwhile, a group of concerned ADC members, coalition partners, and stakeholders from the 23 local government areas have distanced themselves from the inauguration of the transition committee organised by El-Rufai.
The group, at a press conference, accused the ex-governor of attempting to hijack the coalition structure for his personal gain.
Adamu Dattijo, who addressed journalists on behalf of the group, accused El-Rufai of running a one-man show, urging the ADC National Working Committee (NWC) to call him to order.
Dattijo “Recent developments have compelled us to speak with one voice and to alert the national leadership of our party and the general public about the activities of certain individuals who, instead of strengthening the ADC, are bent on dividing and weakening it ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“Instead of promoting collective leadership and coalition building, Malam
Nasir El-Rufai has chosen the path of arrogance and imposition. He has
refused to recognise or acknowledge the duly elected Kaduna State ADC
executive committee and other respected stakeholders of our party.
“He runs a one-man show, taking decisions without consultation, and holding meetings only with his personal loyalists, particularly SDP remnants, while sidelining the authentic ADC leadership and grassroots structures across the 23 Local Governments of Kaduna State. This is not only disrespectful, but also destructive.”
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