Hoodlums on Wednesday night attacked the Edo State secretariat of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The attackers also attempted to set ablaze the facility during the incident, but residents resisted them.
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The hoodlums, however, broke some windows at the secretariat and damaged other property at the building along Ogbelaka Street in Benin City during the attack, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.
In a video clip circulating on Facebook, a man, believed to be a member of the ADC, was heard narrating how the incident happened.
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The man showed, in the now viral clip, the windows and CCTV cameras which the hoodlums destroyed during the attack.
He claimed, without any evidence, that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State must have been responsible for the attack because of its alleged discomfort with the ADC as a major opposition party in the state.
“We will not allow any form of intimidation and oppression. And these things will amount to nothing.
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“We are the only opposition party in this state, and they want to make sure that we do not stand. It won’t work, and we will continue to resist them at all levels. It is a show of shame,” he said.
The Chairperson of the ADC in Edo State, Kennedy Odion, confirmed the incident in a statement on Thursday.
Mr Odion said the hoodlums intended to set the building ablaze.
“They destroyed all the windows and other items in the building before the ADC sympathisers in the area came to the rescue,” he said.
The chairperson claimed that the attackers came with a 10-litre container of petrol to burn down the secretariat.
“Some politicians want the ADC to leave the state so that no other political party will contest the 2027 election with them.
“Elections are a democratic process that requires participation by all. There is freedom of association, which is still in force, and nobody can be forced to join a political party of another person’s choice,” he added.
He said the incident had been reported to security agencies which he urged to track down the perpetrators.
Police speak
The police spokesperson in Edo State, Eno Ikoedem, confirmed the attack in a statement on Thursday.
Ms Ikoedem, an assistant superintendent of police, said the attack was reported around 8 p.m. on Wednesday which prompted police authorities to deploy operatives in the area to restore calm and prevent further attacks.
The police spokesperson said a preliminary assessment showed malicious damage to party flags and two broken windows at the premises.
She said investigations are ongoing to track down the attackers.
The rise of ADC momentum
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the ADC has gained prominence as a potential opposition force that will challenge the dominance of the ruling APC.
READ ALSO: Police report indicts Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan over murder allegation against Akpabio
The ADC, which had been relatively unknown, has become the official platform for a coalition of prominent opposition figures aiming to offer Nigerians an alternative to the current leadership of the country.
Observers believe that ADC has been driven largely by top politicians from both the ruling APC and the other political parties.
Some of the politicians included a former Nigeria’s Vice-President and the PDP 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, his Labour Party counterpart and former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi.
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