Susan Abayomi
The campaign convoy of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has reportedly come under attack by suspected political thugs in Kebbi State, leaving several pieces of equipment belonging to journalists covering the African Democratic Congress (ADC) campaign damaged.
The incident occurred on Thursday as Atiku and members of his campaign team travelled through the state for political engagements, barely a day after the ADC held a presidential campaign rally in Sokoto State.
According to accounts from the campaign team, the suspected attackers barricaded the convoy’s route and pelted vehicles with stones, with members of the media crew allegedly bearing the brunt of the assault.
Cameras, video equipment, tripods and other professional tools were reportedly destroyed, disrupting the journalists’ ability to provide live coverage of the campaign activities.
The ADC campaign organisation alleged that the attack was politically motivated and intended to intimidate its supporters and prevent the public from following the party’s activities.
A campaign official claimed that the attackers deliberately targeted media personnel and their equipment rather than attempting to steal valuables.
The incident occurred amid heightened political tension within the ADC following a Federal High Court judgment in Abuja that nullified the processes leading to Atiku’s emergence as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.
Justice Peter Odo Lifu also nullified the emergence of former Senate President David Mark and other national officers of the party in a leadership dispute instituted by Nafiu Bala Gombe.
The ADC has rejected the ruling and indicated plans to challenge it through the appropriate legal channels.
Despite the legal controversy, Atiku proceeded with his scheduled campaign engagements in Kebbi after visiting Sokoto State.
The Kebbi incident also comes a day after the reported attack on the campaign convoy of another opposition presidential aspirant, Peter Obi of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), in Calabar, Cross River State.
Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, condemned the incident and directed security agencies to identify and apprehend those responsible.
The successive reports of attacks on opposition campaign convoys have raised concerns about the safety of political activities, journalists and supporters ahead of the 2027 general elections.
As of the time of filing this report, details of possible injuries, the identities of those responsible for the Kebbi attack and whether any arrests had been made remained unclear.
