Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the attack on the secretariat of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Ubima, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, describing the incident as a threat to Nigeria’s democratic values.
In a statement shared on his X page Friday, he described the assault on the ADC office and its members as a “dangerous development” that goes beyond political rivalry, warning that such actions amount to an attack on the country’s democracy.
Atiku called on the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to ensure the protection of lives and property belonging to opposition members, noting that safeguarding political opponents is the minimum responsibility of any democratic government.
He wrote, “The attack on the African Democratic Congress (ADC) office in Ubima, Ikwere Local Government Area of Rivers State, is condemned.
It is a dangerous development that efforts to weaken the opposition have now shifted to attacking its members and destroying its properties.
These are not merely attacks on the opposition coalition ADC, but an assault on our democracy.
The protection of the lives and properties of the opposition must, as a priority, be guaranteed by the Tinubu-led APC administration. That is the minimum expectation of Nigerians.”
He further demanded an independent investigation into the attack to ensure that those responsible are identified and prosecuted according to the law with reference to a previous incident involving leaders of the ADC, including Peter Obi, who were reportedly attacked in Benin, Edo State, noting that the outcome of that investigation is still being awaited.
“We call for an independent investigation into the torching of the ADC secretariat in Rivers to ensure that those responsible are prosecuted in accordance with the law. Failure to do so may encourage others to inflict further violence on the lives and properties of the opposition.
Meanwhile, we are still awaiting the outcome of the investigation into the attack on Mr. @PeterObi and other @ADCNig leaders last week in Benin, Edo State. -AA” he added.
