..Party Says Police Harassment of El-Rufai and Attack on Malami Are Dangerous Signs for Democracy
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has expressed grave concern over the increasing use of law enforcement agencies to harass and intimidate opposition leaders, while criminal violence continues to devastate communities across the country. The party condemned the politically motivated police summons issued to former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, as well as the shocking attack on the former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami’s convoy in Kebbi State, which left many party members injured and terrified.
In a statement signed by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, the party described these developments as an assault not just on individual politicians, but on Nigeria’s democracy itself. It warned that the Nigeria Police Force has seemingly become a willing tool of political suppression for the federal government rather than a national security department, that is truly focused on rooting out bandits and other criminals across the country.
The full statement reads: At a time when terrorists and criminal gangs freely operate in large parts of the North, the Nigerian Police appears more interested in silencing opposition leaders than protecting citizens. After the recent attack in Kaduna, where the former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and other ADC leaders were attacked; in Kebbi, the convoy of former Minister for Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN) was violently attacked in broad daylight around the GRA area of Birnin Kebbi—barely meters from a police outpost. Despite the seriousness of the attack, no arrests have been made, and the perpetrators remain at large.
This growing trend is disturbing — and all Nigerians should take note. In Kaduna, the police reportedly looked away as thugs—armed with stones and cutlasses—attacked a peaceful ADC gathering. Instead of arresting those responsible, the police are now targeting the victims with summons.