From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has alleged that intolerance of opposition by the All Progressives Congress (APC) is unprecedented since the inception of the present political dispensation 26 years ago.
The ADC, in a statement by its interim National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, yesterday, said no one can say how far the ruling party would go in its quest to retain power in the next general election.
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The opposition party, which was reacting to the alleged attack on its members by suspected political thugs at a meeting in Alimosho, Lagos State, where former Labour Party 2023 gubernatorial candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour and other leaders were to formally declare for the coalition party, said the incident is a pointer to the alleged desperation of the APC.
While condemning the alleged attack on the Church where its leaders and members were scheduled to meet, ADC said it showed that the ruling party will stop at nothing to silence the opposition.
According to the party, the APC’s alleged resort to violence and intimidation is an admission of its failure. It noted that the ruling party instead of showcasing its achievements wants to eliminate opposition and bulldoze its way into the 2027 polls.
It recalled the recent declaration of the APC as a terrorist organisation by a Canadian court and posited that the only way the ruling party could recover its reputation globally is to stop the alleged suppression of the opposition and allow democracy to thrive in the country.
“This attack on a church premises is a profound act of desecration by a jittery ruling party who would stop at nothing to silence opposition voices in the country.
“It started in Edo with a warning to ADC leaders not to visit the state, followed by Kogi, and then the shutting down of a private radio station in Niger, before it escalated to sponsored attacks on peaceful meetings in Kaduna, followed by attacks on convoys of ADC leaders in Kebbi.
“If churches and other places of worship are no longer regarded as inviolable by the APC goons, how then does the party intend to prove to the world that it is not indeed a terrorist organisation? After all, attacking places of worship is what terrorists do. “It should indeed be noted, opposition and dissent are the hallmarks of democracy. Yet, APC’s total intolerance for both, especially under President Tinubu, has no parallel in the 26-year history of this 4th Republic,” the party stated.
The ADC charged the Nigeria Police to rise above partisanship, stating that the security agency owed the country a duty “to ensure that justice is served swiftly and transparently to perpetrators of the attack in Lagos, Kaduna, Kebbi and all other states where ADC leaders have been threatened and assaulted.
“The perpetrators of these shameful acts must be identified, arrested, and prosecuted.
Nigerians are watching, and the credibility of our institutions is on trial before the whole world.”
Furthermore, the party, which stated that it is committed to a peaceful and constructive engagement, noted that it will not fold its arms “while our leaders are attacked and our gatherings are turned into battlegrounds.This must stop. And it must stop now.”
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