By Precious Owolabi, Ado-Ekiti
Tension gripped Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, on Tuesday midnight as suspected political thugs launched a violent attack on the secretariat of the Action Democratic Congress (ADC), razing down key parts of the facility just hours before the scheduled inauguration of the party’s newly constituted State Executive Committee.
The incident, which has sparked outrage among party members and political observers, occurred in the midnight of the day when unidentified hoodlums allegedly stormed the ADC secretariat located along the Old Iyin Road, near the Police Headquarters, and set ablaze canopies and other materials prepared for the event.
The canopies, said to have been erected the previous night to fast-track preparations ahead of the high-profile inauguration, were completely burnt, leaving behind charred remains and a tense atmosphere.
The development created panic among party faithful who had gathered in anticipation of the arrival of top national leaders of the ADC, including the National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers returned later around noon, this time firing gunshots into the air, dispersing the crowd that had regrouped in front of the vandalised secretariat to continue with the event.
“We were just settling down again, and the music stand had started playing when they returned. There were gunshots, and everyone started running for safety,” a visibly shaken party member told reporters at the scene.
The State Chairman of the party, who had earlier tried to calm the crowd by announcing the imminent arrival of national leaders from Abuja, was forced to flee alongside other party executives and members.
When contacted, one of the party’s leading figures and governorship aspirant, Ambassador Dare Bejide, condemned the attack in strong terms, describing it as barbaric and a direct assault on democracy.
“This is barbaric. Democracy is about joy and freedom of association. Those behind this evil act are enemies of progress, and I can assure you that investigations are already underway to fish them out,” Bejide said.
There were no casualties have been officially reported.
Security operatives have reportedly been deployed to the area to restore calm, while the ADC leadership is expected to brief the press on its next steps.