Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has condemned the disruption of the opening of African Democratic Congress (ADC) secretariat by suspected thugs loyal to the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Saturday, in Bakassi Local Government Area of Cross River State.
Obi, in a statement posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Sunday night, described the incident as a dangerous assault on Nigeria’s democracy.
“What occurred at the ADC office in Bakassi, Cross River State, is not merely an attack on a political party; it is an attack on democracy itself,” Obi said.
He added that the attack highlights the declining standards of democratic practice in Nigeria.
The former Anambra State governor also linked the incident to what he described as a broader decline in leadership standards across the country.
Obi warned that allowing fraud and violence to shape political leadership would have grave consequences for the country’s future.
“When thugs can storm a party office and destroy property without facing arrest, it reflects how dangerously low our democratic standards have fallen.
“In the current state of Nigeria, what can we expect when leadership standards have plummeted to the extent that qualification, certification, and credibility are no longer deemed necessary for public office?”
“The ability for individuals to present forged certificates for election sends a troubling message to our society. If we continue down this path, violence may become the future of our democracy.
“We must recognize that fraud and violence cannot create true leadership; they will only result in chaos. This chaos will ultimately affect us and our children”.
It was gathered that the thugs stormed the venue, disrupted the event, violently dispersed party supporters, and destroyed canopies, loudspeakers, chairs, and other equipment arranged for the event.
A video making the rounds on social media showed the attackers forcefully dismantling the canopies and equipment, while shouting that the ADC would not be allowed to operate in the local government, and that the people of the area do not want any other political parties except the APC.
In the footage, a man believed to be leading the group was heard ordering the attackers to scatter and destroy everything as they (ADC) were nowhere to be found when they (APC) were busy fixing the council area.
The Cross River State Police Command, which confirmed the incident, identified the attackers as hoodlums and said officers were deployed to restore order.
The Public Relations Officer of the Command, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, in a statement issued on Sunday, said that the event was about to commence when “the hoodlums from nowhere came and scattered the canopies, chairs, and sound systems.”
However, the police spokesperson said the situation had been brought under control to prevent snowballing into a full-blown crisis.
Eitokpah, who did not confirm the arrest of any of the attackers, said, “Officers and tactical team are at the scene.
The event couldn’t continue again. In such a chaotic situation, and considering the volatile nature of the area, for now, no arrests have been made.”
