There was chaos in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, on Tuesday, after some suspected political thugs set ablaze the State Secretariat of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The attack, which occurred in the early hours of the day, razed the party office located at Basiri Area of Ado-Ekiti and destroyed several valuables, including plastic chairs, canopies, sound system and office equipment.
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It was learnt that the burnt canopies and chairs had been rented for the inauguration of party’s executives across wards, local government areas, and the state level, scheduled to hold later in the day.
Several hours after the secretariat was razed, the hoodlums regrouped in large numbers and stormed the venue of the planned affirmation ceremony, disrupting preparations and attacking party leaders and supporters.
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The attackers who stormed the venue in a commando-like style shot sporadically into the air, forcing several members of ADC, journalists as well as passersby to scamper for safety.
In the ensuing mele, several vehicles and motorcycle belonging to one of the journalists were vandalised, while canopies and chairs arranged for the programme were destroyed beyond repairs
Aregbesola condemns attack
About 15 minutes after the hoodlums fled the scene, the ADC National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, arrived at the venue amid tight security and proceeded with the inauguration of the newly-affirmed executives.
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Speaking with journalists shortly after brief inauguration of party executives, Mr Aregbesola condemned the attack in strong terms, describing it as a shameful display of intolerance and a dangerous threat to democracy.
Without mentioning names, he said it was regrettable that individuals who emerged through democratic process could resort to violence and intimidation to suppress opposition voices.
“It is difficult to adequately express the disappointment. Don’t forget in 2009, the incumbent administration in Ekiti then did undemocratic actions and we felt that victims of such irresponsible and anti-democratic actions would now be in office to replicate such wickedness in the state”, he said.
The former Osun State governor noted that the beauty of democracy lies in the freedom of association and participation in open political activities without fear or intimidation, saying the attack on ADC members in Ekiti signaled a descent into fascism.
Mr Aregbesola, a former interior minister, also berated the security agencies for failing to protect the ADC secretariat and its members, accusing them of dereliction of duty.
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“The security agencies must protect lives and property and when they fail to do so, they are violating the constitution. Interestingly, the security acts make it compulsory to do so and failure to do that exposes all of them as being compromised,” he said.
It’s political terrorism- Ex-Ekiti deputy governor
Former Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Kolapo Olusola-Eleka, also condemned the incident, describing it as an act of political terrorism.
He said the incident was unfortunate and represented a dangerous assault on the democratic values and freedom of political association.
He lamented that such acts of violence were creeping into Ekiti politics, a state once known for peace and tolerance.
The former deputy governor criticised the security agencies for what he called a disappointing response to the attack, saying the police failed to act promptly despite early reports.
“What has happened today in Ekiti state is what we call political terrorism and it is quite unfortunate this is happening in our state. This is against the principle of democracy that we are all preaching.
“We have made reports to the police through the state party chairman and let me say that we are let down by the security agencies because more than two hours after we made reports on the midnight attack on our secretariat, we observed that they were not there to protect the property and the people”, he added.
Police speak
When contacted, the Ekiti State Police Spokesman, Sunday Abutu, a superintendent of police, confirmed the incident.
He added that the State Commissioner of Police, Joseph Eribo, had ordered a full-scale investigation into the incident with a directive to apprehend the perpetrators and ensure they are brought to justice.
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