Suspected APC’s thugs invade opposition coalition’s ADC’s meeting in Kaduna
*We did not receive notice of ADC's meeting - Kaduna Police *Says, opposition coalition's party went ahead with meeting despite warnings *If this trend does not end, we can say nobody has monopoly of violence, ADC leaders warn
By HARUNA MUSA, OUR REPORTERS, North West
“If the authorities don’t end the introduction of thuggery into Kaduna politics, God help us. Nobody has a monopoly on violence or thugs,” el-Rufai was quoted as saying.”
Thugs suspected to be of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have attacked a political meeting of opposition coalition’s African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Kaduna.
The crisis broke out at the inauguration of a transition committee formed by opposition parties in the former capital of Northern Nigeria on Saturday August 30, 2025.
The event was disrupted when suspected thugs invaded the venue, brandishing various types of weapons including cutlasses, clubs and stones, with which they were said to carry out attacks on participants and breaking doors and windows of the venue thus causing damages to the property in gaining entrance.
Attacks on the event, which took place at the Conference Hall of NUT Endwell in Mogadishu Layout and held under the leadership of former Kaduna Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, was said to have left several people injured and vehicles destroyed.
The DEFENDER reports that the meeting was the coming together of members of an All Progressives Congress (APC) faction opposed to the state leadership, alongside the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), who recently collapse structures and joined forces with the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The undaunted members of the meeting, defiled the violence to go on with the committee’s inauguration albeit under tense conditions.
Members present, however, blamed the police who they accused of watching while the political thugs’ violence lasted. They said the police, charged with constitutional responsibility handle such situation, failed to act and also accused the security agents of complicity in the violence.
Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the immediate past governor of Kaduna, who was present at the event, described the attack as “a dangerous descent into lawlessness.”
He alleged that senior police officers, including an assistant commissioner, stood by and watched as the violence took place.
“If the authorities don’t end the introduction of thuggery into Kaduna politics, God help us. Nobody has a monopoly on violence or thugs,” el-Rufai was quoted as saying.
“We will take decisive steps to ensure this does not repeat itself.”
He vowed to escalate the matter to the Police Service Commission (PSC), accusing the police of breaching their duty by failing to intervene.
Jafaru Sani, ADC National Vice Chairman (North West), condemned the violence, describing it as “sad and unfortunate.”
He said Kaduna’s history of political violence was being replayed, adding that opposition parties will not be cowed into silence.
“We will never be intimidated or forced to retreat. We will continue to pursue our political activities with all the energy and commitment we have,” Sani said.
Reacting to the incident, Yahaya Baba-Pate, APC secretary in Kaduna, denied any involvement of the ruling party.
“The ADC and other opposition groups are free to carry out their activities without harassment,” Baba-Pate said.
As at the time of filing this report Saturday night, the Kaduna State Police Command said it had launched an investigation into the unfortunate development, promising not to leave any stone unturned in unearthening culprits behind it.
The police, in what many suspected was allegedly taking side with the APC, said it did not receive any notification of the meeting convened by the former governor.
In a statement shortly after the incident, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Mansir Hassan, noted that the organisers went ahead with the meeting despite repeated warnings, thus negating its claim that it did not receive notice of the political meeting many have argued police lacks power to dictate when and where to hold but have constitutional duty of providing security and protection on request.
Mr Hassan said the command had launched a full investigation into the attack.
He said, “Preliminary findings indicate that the gathering led to a clash, during which thugs and political gangsters attached to the former governor allegedly fired gunshots, causing chaos and disruption of public order and peace in the state.”
Mr Hassan said the police would not spare anyone found culpable in the incident, noting that nobody was above the law.
“The command wishes to state categorically that the investigation is ongoing, and anyone found culpable, irrespective of his personality and no matter how highly placed, if he acted contrary to the law, will face the full weight of the law,” the statement added.
