ADC Warns Against Political Violence After Kaduna Attack

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned the attack on its members in Kaduna State, warning that no individual, group or political party has a monopoly on violence.

The party said the incident represented an unacceptable escalation at a time when political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections were only beginning.

Suspected thugs reportedly attacked ADC supporters during a solidarity walk organised in support of the party’s Kaduna governorship candidate, Isa Ashiru, in Kaduna metropolis.

Reacting to the incident in a statement, the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, urged security agencies to immediately identify, arrest and prosecute those responsible for the attack.

“Let nobody mistake our commitment to peaceful democratic participation for weakness. No political party has a monopoly on non-state sanctioned violence. Once violence becomes an accepted instrument of political competition, nobody can predict where it ends,” the party said.

The ADC also demanded that anyone who sponsored or organised the attack should be investigated and brought to justice, stressing that political violence must not be allowed to become an accepted feature of the 2027 electoral process.

The opposition party expressed solidarity with Ashiru and other members affected by the incident, while calling on the Kaduna State Government to guarantee the safety of opposition parties and their supporters.

The party maintained that Kaduna belongs to its people and not to any political organisation, insisting that attempts to intimidate its members would not prevent it from participating actively in the state’s political activities.

“We will not be intimidated. We will organise, we will campaign, and we will compete in every part of Kaduna State,” the party stated.

The ADC warned that allowing violence to take root in political contests could have consequences beyond individual incidents, urging security agencies to act decisively before the situation escalates.

It stressed that the 2027 elections should be determined by competing ideas and the choices of voters at the ballot box rather than intimidation, thuggery and violence.