By Obinna Uballa
Tension gripped Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, on Tuesday, as suspected political thugs set ablaze the Secretariat of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and disrupted the inauguration of the party’s newly affirmed executives.
The secretariat, located at Basiri area of Ado-Ekiti, was razed in the early hours of the day, with valuables such as plastic chairs, canopies, sound systems, and office equipment destroyed in the inferno.
According to eyewitnesses, the burnt canopies and chairs had been rented for the inauguration of ADC executives across wards, local government areas, and the state level, scheduled to hold later in the day.
Hours after the attack on the secretariat, the hoodlums reportedly regrouped and invaded the venue of the planned inauguration in large numbers, shooting sporadically into the air and forcing party members, journalists, and passers-by to flee for safety, The Nation Newspaper reported.
In the chaos that followed, several vehicles and motorcycles – including one belonging to a journalist – were vandalised, while canopies and chairs arranged for the ceremony were destroyed beyond repair.
Despite the violence, the ADC National Secretary and former Minister of Interior, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, arrived at the venue under heavy security and went ahead with a brief inauguration of the new executives.
Speaking to journalists afterwards, Aregbesola condemned the attack as a “shameful display of intolerance and a dangerous threat to democracy.”
He said it was regrettable that individuals who rose through democratic processes could resort to violence to suppress opposition voices, warning that such acts undermine the very essence of democracy.
“The beauty of democracy lies in freedom of association and participation without fear or intimidation,” Aregbesola said. “What happened today in Ekiti signals a dangerous descent into fascism.”
The former Osun State governor also faulted the security agencies for failing to protect the ADC secretariat and its members, accusing them of negligence and dereliction of duty.
Also reacting, former Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Prof. Kolapo Olusola-Eleka, condemned the incident as an act of “political terrorism,” describing it as a dangerous assault on democratic values and freedom of political association.
He lamented that such violence was creeping into Ekiti politics, a state once known for peace and tolerance.
“What has happened today in Ekiti State is political terrorism, and it is quite unfortunate this is happening in our state,” Olusola-Eleka said. “We made reports to the police through the state party chairman, but more than two hours after the midnight attack, there was no protection for our people or our property.”
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Sunday Abutu, confirmed the incident.
He said the state Commissioner of Police, CP Joseph Eribo, had ordered a full-scale investigation to arrest the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
