…Says Nigeria’s democracy now under siege
African Democratic Congress (ADC), has condemned in the strongest terms what it described as the violent attempt on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, to takeover the National Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by some expelled members of the Party led by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike and the former National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu.
The ADC described the development as a “brazen, disturbing, and dangerous assault on democracy” for the importation of armed men to carry out the dastardly act that was sponsored by some senior officials of the ruling party.
It said it viewed the invasion of the PDP National Secretariat as yet another episode—albeit a more sinister one—in the APC’s ongoing efforts to destabilise opposition platforms and undermine Nigeria’s multiparty system.
These were contained in a statement by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, in which he criticised the President Bola Tinubu administration for resorting to violence in its bid to impose control over an opposition party.
The ADC warned that such actions represent a direct attack on Nigeria’s multiparty democracy and a clear attempt to advance a one-party state.
Abdullahi said; “Based on its actions and machinations since assuming office, the anti-democratic tendencies of this government are no longer in doubt. Yet, this latest attack marks a new and troubling low—even by the deeply worrying standards already exhibited by the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
“With this reckless show of force, the government is sending a chilling message that it is willing to deploy any means, including outright violence, to advance partisan interests.
“If armed operatives can be mobilised to enforce factional control over an opposition party, what stops the same tactics from being used against labour unions, professional bodies, the media, student groups, or peaceful protest movements?
“Let no one make the mistake of treating this as an internal PDP affair. This assault strikes at the heart of Nigeria’s democratic future and sets a dangerous tone ahead of the 2027 general elections,” he said.
The full statement states:
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) strongly condemns the brazen invasion and violent takeover of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday, November 14, 2025, by agents of the APC-led Federal Government.
This incident is an unmistakable assault on Nigeria’s democracy and must be condemned by all citizens, regardless of political leaning.
Based on its actions and machinations since assuming office, the anti-democratic tendencies of this government are no longer in doubt. Yet, this latest attack marks a new and troubling low—even by the deeply worrying standards already exhibited by the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
With this reckless show of force, the government is sending a chilling message that it is willing to deploy any means, including outright violence, to advance partisan interests. If armed operatives can be mobilised to enforce factional control over an opposition party, what stops the same tactics from being used against labour unions, professional bodies, the media, student groups, or peaceful protest movements?
Let no one make the mistake of treating this as an internal PDP affair. This assault strikes at the heart of Nigeria’s democratic future and sets a dangerous tone ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The ADC views this invasion as yet another episode—albeit a more sinister one—in the ruling party’s ongoing efforts to destabilise opposition platforms and undermine Nigeria’s multiparty system.
We therefore call on all Nigerians, as well as Nigeria’s international partners, to take due notice of this dangerous drift and to urge the government to respect democratic norms, uphold civil liberties, and halt this rapid slide into authoritarianism.
As a party, we demand an independent investigation into the role of the Nigerian Police and other security agencies in this shameful episode. We also call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to rein in his political operatives before they plunge the country into needless chaos.
