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• My suspension mere rumour, baseless, says Kaduna chairman
From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja and Noah Ebije, Kaduna
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has said the attack on its Ekiti State secretariat, was part of coordinated attacks against it nationwide.
This is as chairman of the Kaduna State chapter, Elder Patrick Ambut, described his purported suspension as mere rumour that should not be taken seriously, saying it aimed at embarrassing the party in the state and beyond.
The ADC, in a statement by its interim national publicity secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, yesterday, described the attack on its Ekiti office as an act of political terrorism aimed at silencing opposition voices.
While calling for an independent investigation into the incident and the prosecution of perpetrators, ADC urged civil society and international observers to pay greater attention to the development in the country.
“In the early hours of Monday, October 21, while most of the Ado-Ekiti residents were still asleep, unknown assailants set fire to the building housing the African Democratic Congress (ADC) state secretariat. This was a deliberate act of arson intended to sabotage and terrorise the opposition ahead of the governorship election in the state.
“The ADC condemns this barbaric act in the strongest possible terms. It is criminal, anti-democratic and a disgrace to all who claim to believe in political freedom. This attack came on a day when the ADC in Ekiti had planned a quiet but significant event, the reconfiguration and affirmation ceremony of our ward, local government, senatorial, and state executives. It was to be a renewal of commitment, a reaffirmation of values and a consolidation of our structure.
“Quite significantly, we note that this latest incident in Ekiti is only a continuation of serial attacks on our party members and infrastructure across parts of the country. Since the opposition coalition unveiled the ADC as its party of choice in July, our members and structures nationwide have faced a pattern of orchestrated aggression that should alarm every citizen who believes in the freedom to choose.
“In Kaduna, on August 30, some of our party leaders were attacked when an inauguration event was violently disrupted. In Lagos, our leaders were attacked in Alimosho. In Kebbi, the convoy of our leaders came under attack in Birnin Kebbi in early September. And in Kogi, our party secretariat in Dekina was targeted. Let us not forget Edo State, where the sitting Governor has issued thinly veiled threats to our members.
“Each of these cases could be dismissed as the unfortunate actions of political miscreants. But, taken together, five states, multiple incidents, a consistent target, they form a pattern too dangerous to ignore. This is no longer about partisanship. It is about the integrity of the political process itself.
“What is especially troubling is the silence that follows these acts. Where is the outrage from those who claim to be custodians of our democracy? A system that looks away while opposition parties are violently suppressed is a system begging for crisis.
“Nevertheless, we want the world to know that we are not victims. We are builders of a future that offers an alternative. We are being attacked because our message is resonating with the everyday Nigerian who is tired of the failures of the APC-led administration. Because our structures are growing, because the APC can feel the ground shifting beneath them, they continue to attack us. The fire in Ekiti is further confirmation that the APC is afraid of the rising wave of the ADC.
“We, therefore, call on security agencies to investigate these coordinated acts of aggression. We demand the swift prosecution of the perpetrators. And we invite civil society, INEC and international observers to pay closer attention to the quiet war being waged against the only real opposition party left in Nigeria.
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“Despite the ashes, our affirmation ceremony in Ekiti will still proceed, whether in a hall or under a tree. And to those who think violence will deter us, we have only this to say, the ADC is not going away. We will continue to build. We will continue to organise. And come election day, we will remind the nation that those who resort to fire do so only when they have run out of arguments.”
Meanwhile, Elder Ambut, in a statement, has said his purported suspension did not emanate from the party and as such, should be ignored.
The reaction of the ADC chairman followed a rumour making the rounds on the social media, citing his suspension from the party.
According to Ambut in the statement, the letter in circulation about his suspension was laughable and not authentic. “I remain the authentic chairman of the party in the state,” Ambut emphasised.
“Such action is an attempt by the enemy of the party to see that the party did not succeed in the coming general elections in 2027. I am calling on those elements to refrain from such action.
“Looking at the so-called suspension letter that emanated from such elements, it is obvious that the letter lacks substance, simply because what could lead to my suspension was not clearly defined. So, this is politics and also an attempt to cause disunity and crisis among the State Working Committee of the party and also among the party members.
“The ADC is strong, united and such an attempt by the ruling political party and a few elements within the party to cause disunity and crisis cannot succeed.”
He urged the public to consider such news as fake and not authentic, while also calling on the party members and supporters across the state and beyond not to take the elements behind such a letter seriously.
The state secretary of the party, Oluwatuyi Victor Olayinka, said some members of the party were facing investigation that bothers on holding illegal meetings, falsification of documents and unauthorised official communication.
The secretary further said that the illegal suspension of the chairman was a gross violation of the ADC constitution and contrary to the established party procedures.
“According to the ADC constitution, only the state chairman has the power to convene a meeting and this must be done through the state secretary. Furthermore, it is on record that both the state chairman and the state secretary were duly elected by the Congress, and remain the legitimate officers of the party in Kaduna State.
“The leadership of ADC Kaduna State remains committed to peace, discipline and the rule of law as enshrined in our party’s constitution. We, therefore, urge all members and the general public to disregard the purported suspension notice and continue with their legitimate party activities,” ADC secretary said.
