• We saw police invitation on social media, party chieftain claims
• ADC condemns alleged attacks on members
• Coalition is old vehicle with old drivers, engines, says N’Central APC
• No vacancy in Aso Rock, minister boasts

The Kaduna State Police Command has invited the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, alongside several prominent members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), for questioning over alleged criminal conspiracy, incitement of public disturbance, mischief and causing grievous hurt.
 
According to the letter sighted last night, dated September 4, 2025, and signed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Uzainu Abdullahi, the police emphasised that the invitation was part of ongoing investigation activities aimed at maintaining public peace and order in the state, though details of the complaints remain unclear.
 
The letter reads: “This Department is currently investigating the above-mentioned case involving the following members of your party. You are requested to come along with them to SCID to clarify allegations reported against them by the complainants on 8th September 2025.
 
When contacted, the ADC North-West Vice Chairman, Jafaru Sani, whose name was also listed, said most of them became aware of the invitation through social media. “Yes, most of us only saw the statement on social media,” he said, declining further comments.
 
Those listed in the police invitation include Bashir Sa’idu, Jafaru Sani, Ubaidullah Mohammed (popularly known as “30”), Nasiru Maikano, Aminu Abita, and Ahmed Rufa’i Hussaini (also known as “Mikiya”).
 
The letter, titled Investigation Activities: Case of Criminal Conspiracy, Inciting Disturbance of Public Peace, Mischief and Causing Grievous Hurt, stated that the individuals were being called to clarify allegations lodged against them by complainants.
 
Earlier on Thursday, security operatives from the Kaduna State Police Command sealed off the ADC office located at No. 4 Ali Akilu Road, Kaduna.

It was gathered that the action came just hours before the Northwest leadership of the party was scheduled to visit the state chapter on a commiseration mission. The visit was meant to sympathise with members who were brutally attacked by political thugs last week.
 
According to eyewitnesses, several police patrol vans were deployed around the premises in what appeared to be a coordinated effort to block access to the opposition party’s office.
 
However, the Northwest zone of the ADC has condemned what it described as a “violent and coordinated attack” on its members in Kaduna State, calling for the immediate arrest and prosecution of perpetrators. It warned against what it termed the “creeping slide into dictatorship.”
 
Malam Lawal Batagarawa, a former Minister of State for Defence and chieftain of the party, while addressing an “emergency” press conference held at el-Rufai’s Kaduna residence on Thursday, said the attack occurred during the inauguration of the ADC Coalition Transition Committee at the NUT Endwell Conference Centre, Kaduna, on Saturday, August 30, around 11:00a.m.
 
According to him, the assault, allegedly carried out by “sponsored political thugs,” left several members injured and properties destroyed, with lives “gravely endangered. Such deliberate acts of political brutality represent a dangerous slide into lawlessness and authoritarianism. We cannot remain silent in the face of this clear and present danger to our lives, property, and hard-earned democracy,” Batagarawa said.
 
Flanked by el-Rufai and former governor of Sokoto, Aminu Tambuwal, the former Defence Minister accused the Nigeria Police Force and the Kaduna State Government of complicity, alleging that the police failed to protect party members and, in some instances, appeared to aid the attackers. “Instead of protecting lives and property, the police were slow to act, and reports suggest they aided the attackers rather than restrain them,” he said.
 
The ADC chieftain also condemned what he called “unconstitutional directives” by security agencies banning political party meetings in hotels, conference halls, and other public spaces across Kaduna. The party further alleged that the incident in Kaduna was part of a broader pattern of intolerance across the Northwest.
 
Batagarawa cited the September 1 attack on the convoy of former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, in Kebbi State, and the September 2 disruption of a meeting by Katsina elders under the Katsina State Security Initiative as evidence of “state-sponsored political violence.”
 
“This pattern of intolerance is a clear and present danger to our democracy. There cannot be democracy where citizens are attacked for simply coming together to express their views,” Batagarawa warned.

IN another development, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the North-Central zone has dismissed ADC as a “vehicle with old drivers and faulty engines,” insisting that the party poses no threat to the ruling party ahead of future elections.
 
Led by Aliyu Bello, the Nasarawa State chairman of the APC, the North-Central leaders made the remarks on Thursday in Abuja during a condolence visit to Nentawe Yilwatda, the party chairman, over the loss of his mother.
 
Bello, who spoke on behalf of the delegation, said the APC’s priority is to ensure the full implementation of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, stressing that the administration has already recorded progress in stabilising the economy.
 
“The state of the nation is not about the election. All that we are concerned about is the APC Renewed Hope Agenda. By the grace of God, we have seen some progress and development. Food prices are going down daily because of diversification, not oil. The naira has been floated, and the economy is going in the right direction.”
 
He added, “You cannot go to the CBN and become an emergency billionaire. The naira has been floated. The economy is going in the right direction. So, we are happy with what our leader is doing. And if you go to various states, including the PDP states. They are so happy that the allocation they are getting now is about three to four times what they were getting.”

SIMILARLY, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmed, has declared that there will be no vacancy in Aso Rock in 2027, asserting that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is laying a lasting foundation that will guarantee his re-election.
 
Ahmed made the remarks on Thursday in Abuja during a courtesy visit to the Tinubu Support Group (TSG), where she commended the President’s ongoing reforms and long-term vision for the country.
 
According to her, Tinubu has moved beyond superficial remedies, tackling the structural causes of Nigeria’s challenges and building what she described as a permanent foundation for future generations.
 
“He is addressing from the foundation the issues that set the nation back. President Tinubu is creating a permanent foundation for our country, and our children and grandchildren will thank him in the future. That is why there is no vacancy in Aso Rock in 2027,” the minister said.
 
Speaking at the same event, Director-General of the TSG, Umar Tanko Yakasai, dismissed the recently formed opposition coalition, describing it as “a pack of dominoes” composed of politicians with discredited governance records.
 
“We’re not afraid of the coalition because we have a lot to tell Nigerians. A lot has been done by the Tinubu administration. It is delusional for anyone to think he can take even one bite away from Tinubu,” Yakasai said.
 
He alleged that the regrouping opposition leaders were the same figures responsible for past misgovernance and looting of the country’s resources.