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• Smash cameras, other equipment belonging to media crew • ADC alleges politically sponsored attack, says assailants targeted campaign coverage
The presidential campaign convoy of former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, was reportedly attacked by suspected political thugs in Kebbi State yesterday, with several pieces of equipment belonging to journalists and other media personnel accompanying the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential campaign destroyed.
The incident occurred as Atiku’s convoy moved through the state for campaign engagements, barely 24 hours after the opposition party held a presidential campaign rally in Sokoto State.
According to accounts from the ADC campaign team, suspected hoodlums barricaded the convoy’s route, hurled stones at vehicles and specifically targeted members of the media crew covering the campaign activities.
The attackers reportedly damaged cameras, video equipment, tripods and other working tools, disrupting the team’s ability to provide live coverage of the campaign.
“Most of the gadgets belonging to the camera and video crew were destroyed in the attack. Cameras, video equipment, tripods and other working tools were smashed, leaving the crew unable to continue live coverage of the campaign,” the campaign team said.
The ADC campaign organisation alleged that the attack was politically motivated and intended to intimidate its supporters and prevent Nigerians from following the party’s campaign activities.
A member of the campaign team, who accused the assailants of deliberately targeting journalists and their equipment, maintained that the incident was not an ordinary criminal attack.
“The thugs did not come to steal. They came to destroy. They targeted our cameras and video crew because they did not want Nigerians to see what is happening here in Kebbi,” the campaign official said.
A social media post accompanying a video of the incident accused suspected supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of responsibility for the attack.
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However, the allegation of APC involvement had not been independently established, and there was no confirmation in the initial report that security agencies had identified the attackers or their sponsors.
The reported attack came amid heightened political tension surrounding the ADC following a Federal High Court judgment in Abuja which nullified the processes that produced Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.
Justice Peter Odo Lifu also nullified the emergence of former Senate President David Mark and other national officers of the party following a leadership dispute brought before the court by Nafiu Bala Gombe.
The ADC rejected the judgment and indicated that it would challenge the decision through available legal processes, insisting that the ruling threatened the democratic rights of its members and candidates.
Despite the judgment, Atiku proceeded with his scheduled campaign engagements in Kebbi after travelling from Sokoto, where he had addressed supporters the previous day.
The Kebbi incident also followed Wednesday’s attack on the convoy of another opposition presidential candidate, Peter Obi of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), in Calabar, Cross River State.
Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, condemned that incident and directed security agencies to identify and apprehend those responsible.
The two reported attacks have raised fresh concerns about the security of political campaigns and the protection of journalists and supporters as preparations for the 2027 general elections gather momentum.
As of the initial report, the extent of any injuries in the Kebbi incident, the identities of the attackers and whether arrests had been made remained unconfirmed.
