By Asuquo Cletus
A Former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has condemned the disruption of the African Democratic Congress secretariat opening in Bakassi Local Government Area of Cross River State, describing the incident as an attack on democracy.
Obi, in a statement released yesterday via his X handle, criticised the invasion of the party office by suspected hoodlums, saying the development reflected a worrying decline in democratic values in the country.
He said, “What occurred at the ADC office in Bakassi, Cross River State, is not merely an attack on a political party; it is an attack on democracy itself.”
According to him, the failure to hold perpetrators accountable could embolden further acts of political violence.
“When thugs can storm a party office and destroy property without facing arrest, it reflects how dangerously low our democratic standards have fallen,” Obi said.
The former governor of Anambra State also warned that the continued erosion of leadership standards and tolerance of political misconduct could push the country toward chaos and violence.
“In the current state of Nigeria, what can we expect when leadership standards have plummeted to the extent that qualification, certification and credibility are no longer deemed necessary for public office?” he said.
“If we continue down this path, violence may become the future of our democracy. Fraud and violence cannot create true leadership; they will only result in chaos that will affect both our children and us.”
The condemnation followed the disruption of a planned opening of the ADC secretariat in Bakassi on Saturday by suspected political thugs.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers stormed the venue of the ceremony, dispersing party supporters and destroying canopies, loudspeakers, chairs and other equipment arranged for the event.
A video circulating on social media showed a group of youths forcefully dismantling the event setup while chanting that the party would not be allowed to operate in the area.
In the footage, a man believed to be leading the group was heard directing others to scatter the equipment, claiming that the party was absent when development efforts were being carried out in the council area.
Reacting to the incident, the Nigeria Police Force in Cross River State confirmed the development, describing the perpetrators as hoodlums and stating that officers had been deployed to the area to restore order.
The police added that investigations were ongoing to identify and apprehend those responsible for the disruption.
