In a move that has intensified political tensions in Kaduna State, security operatives from the Kaduna State Police Command on Thursday, September 4, sealed off the African Democratic Congress (ADC) office located at No. 4 Ali Akilu Road. This action, reported by News People and confirmed by other news outlets, came just hours before a scheduled visit by the Northwest leadership of the ADC. The visit was intended as a commiseration mission to sympathize with party members who were severely attacked by political thugs the previous week, an incident that has been a point of contention between the opposition and the state government.
The sealing of the opposition party’s office has been widely criticized as an attempt to stifle political opposition and restrict freedom of assembly. Eyewitnesses reported seeing several police patrol vans deployed to block all access points to the premises, creating a highly visible and coordinated effort to prevent the planned meeting from taking place. This action follows a previous incident where thugs reportedly hired by the state government attacked a meeting of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the ADC, injuring several people and destroying property, including vehicles.
The political climate in Kaduna has been increasingly fraught with friction. A top source told SaharaReporters that the sealing of the ADC office is an indication of the “bloody politics that lie ahead,” particularly in the ongoing political squabble between former governor Nasir El-Rufai and his successor, Governor Uba Sani. The police’s action has further fueled accusations of political intimidation and the use of state security apparatus to suppress dissenting voices. The party has previously accused the police of inaction and even complicity during the earlier attack on their members, a claim that the police have yet to fully address.
The ADC has consistently maintained that the right to peaceful assembly is guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution and that police action to suspend or disrupt political gatherings is unconstitutional. A chieftain of the party, Yusuf Shehu Bello, had earlier filed a suit against the Inspector-General of Police and the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, seeking to restrain them from imposing unlawful restrictions on political meetings. Bello’s legal action highlights the growing concern that security agencies are being used to undermine democratic freedoms and create an uneven playing field.
