Creeping Intolerance and Political Violence

By Alabi Williams / Posted 8 September, 2025

There is evidence that the road to 2027 is rough and could be more violent. Politicians are getting away with crime because they use state resources and agencies to do their dirty jobs. The stakes are even higher now, since their only means to economic prosperity is to peddle political merchandise.

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Many of them are not noble and have nothing else to do apart from political horse-trading. They go from party to party, looking for patronage. By their incompetence, they have ruined the national economy and are bent on sustaining their stranglehold.

Since they are bereft of ideas to construct purposeful, non-violent leadership conversation, they resort to propaganda, intimidation and violence. They’re a threat to democracy, together with their agents.

Malam Nasir el-Rufai, former Governor of Kaduna State, a man well-versed in antics of the political class, last week, lamented what he claimed to be state-sponsored assault, intimidation and attempt to silent the opposition.

On August 30, 2025, at the inauguration of a transition committee to harmonise coalition members from the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the Labour Party (LP), under the banner of African Democratic Congress (ADC), thugs, armed with cutlasses, clubs and stones invaded the Kaduna venue, disrupted proceedings and inflicted injury and damages on persons and property of members.

According to el-Rufai, who is a notable leader of the ADC Coalition in the state, the attack had the imprimatur of the authorities. He said: “The police was complicit. The Assistant Commissioner of Police that was there, watched while these thugs were attacking people with machetes, destroying people’s vehicles. It is a matter that I will report to the highest levels of the police and the Police Service Commission. If the authorities don’t end the introduction of thuggery into Kaduna, God help us. Nobody has a monopoly of violence.”

One Ibrahim Modibbo, a member of the Coalition and victim of the attack, said known thugs invaded their meeting and their faces were recorded. Some were arrested but later released. He wondered why the assailants were hurriedly released when the police claimed investigations were ongoing.

In their report of the fracas, the Kaduna Police Command said its, “preliminary findings indicate that the gathering led to a clash, during which thugs and political gangsters attached to the former Governor allegedly fired gunshots, causing chaos and disruption of public order in the state.”

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The Command then ordered that hotels, event centres and similar facilities would henceforth be held liable if they hosted political gatherings without first notifying security agencies. The police suspended what it called “all unauthorised” political gatherings across the state until due process and proper security arrangements were ensured.

The ADC condemned the attack and faulted the police’s one-sided report on the crisis. The party’s national Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, wrote: “The claim by the Kaduna Police Command that our gathering was unathorised is dangerously presumptuous.

The police statement rushed to link the ADC to political gangsters even while stating that it had commenced an extensive investigation into the alleged political violence. This contradiction exposes the statement as more political than professional. Investigations should establish facts before conclusions are drawn; when the police act as judge and jury, it undermines both justice and democracy.”

In Kebbi State, the convoy of Abubakar Malami, former Attorney-General and Justice Minister under the Buhari-led government, was attacked on September 1, by suspected political thugs. Malami is a leader of the ADC Coalition. According to the report, he was returning from a condolence visit to the family of late Tukur Kola, chief Imam of Dr. Bello Haliru Jumu’ah Mosque, in the state capital, when assailants quartered in the APC secretariat launched the attack. They injured many and left 10 vehicles destroyed.

Malami described the attack as politically motivated. He said: “I was away, not for political campaign. It’s painful and unfortunate. Some thugs emerged from the APC state headquarters, armed with weapons and stones, and attacked our convoy, destroying vehicles and injuring our supporters.” He added that there would be “no retreat no surrender” in politics in Kebbi.

The Kebbi State chapter of APC condemned the attack and promised to find out those responsible. The police in the state said it had commenced investigation, warning political parties to stop any form of political gathering or campaign that might ignite crisis. Kebbi State Commissioner of Police, Bello M. Sani said: It’s not time for political campaign, we have warned political parties and politicians to stop any form of campaign because INEC is yet to lift the ban on politics.”

The impression one picks from the two attacks is that a pattern of muzzling of opposition is unfolding and the police are dancing around the facts. In Kaduna, as in other places, it is expedient for political activities to take place, particularly now. It is normal that coalition partners must meet and know one another, as well as plan for the future. What took place was not a political campaign. We also need to be clear that there is no ban on political associations and gatherings, where internal affairs of political parties are addressed.

Otherwise, there won’t be opportunities where both APC and PDP meet regularly in Abuja to attempt to iron out different issues, including leadership disputes. There is no restriction on political campaigns until the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announces timelines for political activities for 2027. Until that happens, it shouldn’t be the business of the police to impose restrictions on the political space. And they’re doing it in a manner that suggests the police is working for the APC.

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The police said those responsible for the Kaduna attacks were “thugs and political gangsters attached to the former governor.” That suggests the police have dossiers on these gangsters but decided to let them flourish because they are attached to el-Rufai. Why didn’t they prevent the attack by making sure the gangsters do not have the opportunity to regroup and cause mayhem?

The police said the gangsters and thugs allegedly fired gunshots, causing chaos and disruption of public order. If the police are alleging, that suggests the Force gathered information on the crisis from other sources. How authentic and non-partisan are those sources?

The police’s preliminary finding also suggests that el- Rufai’s political thugs and gangsters fired gunshots at ADC Coalition members, of which el-Rufai is the leader. So, el-Rufai gathered his thugs to disrupt a meeting where he presides. Is that what the police are saying?

The Kaduna Police Command corroborated el-Rufai’s allegation of complicity when it confessed to have visited the Secretariat of ADC in Kaduna, and were told that the gathering that was disrupted by gangsters was not associated with ADC; and that el-Rufai was not a member of their party. Has it now become the business of the police to authenticate who are ADC members and which faction is the real deal?

If we want democracy to survive, state institutions, particularly the police, must disentangle from political affiliations. They must be seen to be neutral and be professional enough not to be used by politicians to fight partisan battles. It is the job of the police to isolate and deal with criminality that emanates from political intolerance, not to condone or shield criminals.

Every intelligent person or agency knows that since el-Rufai and others decided to use the ADC as a platform for 2027, internal strife has been sown in the party. Hitherto unknown and inconsequential members are now sprouting all over, claiming ownership in the bid to disorient the party.

If the PDP were to be as authoritarian and intolerant as the APC is unraveling, the PDP had capacity to kill APC before it was born. Long before APC was licensed to participate in 2015 general elections, their members held rallies all over the country that were not criminalised by the PDP government and the police. They were allowed to meet and consolidate.

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Rather than address the criminality that emanated from APC Secretariat in Kebbi, where thugs converged and descended on Malami’s convoy, CP Sani was more interested in the ban on political campaigns. The police should detach from partisan loyalty and free itself from their ancient mentality of any government in power.

This mentality of serving only people in government is part of the slavery associated with colonial history, when the idea of policing was seen as the preserve of the colonial masters. That must stop if we are to grow and wean this sickly democracy.

Responses and reactions that followed the attacks on Kaduna and Kebbi ADC, unsurprisingly, shared the karmic logic that both el-Rufai and Malami deserve what they are getting, being former APC members who visited similar terror on the opposition at the time they were in government.

Former Senator who represented Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, actually reminded el-Rufai of the high-handedness he unleashed as governor of Kaduna State. They say he has no reason to complain.

Indeed, el-Rufai was ruthless and remorseless with power. He pulled down homes of opposition elements and the downtrodden without blinking an eye. People of Kaduna South and el-Zakzaky’s Shite community will remember him for a long time.

But is that sufficient to hound the man and deploy state resources to render him politically impotent? No. Let there be a level-playing opportunity for the people to settle scores with him through the ballot box. Any other attempt could lead to anarchy and chaos.

Former LP governorship candidate in Lagos, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, is facing similar uphill task with authorities in Lagos, as he declares for ADC. He has alleged intimidation and harassment. Venue for the planned meeting was sealed off after approval. But he remains resolute.

There shall be more of these tactics; weaponising incumbency and engaging gangsters and the police to intimidate, instead of showcasing evidence of good governance and poverty alleviation. Let the political class not derail this democracy. It is still very fragile!

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Note: This article was first published by The Guardian Newspaper.
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