KADUNA, Nigeria — Violence broke out on Saturday, August 30, 2025, at the inauguration of a transition committee formed by opposition parties in Kaduna State, after suspected thugs stormed the venue, leaving several people injured and vehicles destroyed.
The assailants, armed with cutlasses, clubs, and stones, disrupted the gathering in Kaduna city, where members of a faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) opposed to the state leadership joined forces with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), and African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Despite the attack, the inauguration went ahead under tense conditions.
Attendees accused the police of standing by as the violence unfolded.
Former Kaduna governor Nasir el-Rufai, who attended the event, described the attack as “a dangerous descent into lawlessness.”
He alleged that senior police officers, including an assistant commissioner, “stood by and watched as the violence took place.”
“If the authorities don’t end the introduction of thuggery into Kaduna politics, God help us. Nobody has a monopoly on violence or thugs,” el-Rufai said.
He vowed to escalate the matter to the Police Service Commission, accusing officers of failing in their duty.
Jafaru Sani, ADC national vice-chairman for the northwest, condemned the incident as “sad and unfortunate,” warning that Kaduna’s history of political violence was resurfacing.
“We will never be intimidated or forced to retreat. We will continue to pursue our political activities with all the energy and commitment we have,” Sani said.
The ruling APC denied involvement in the violence. Yahaya Baba-Pate, the party’s Kaduna secretary, said the opposition was free to carry out its activities “without harassment.”
The incident has heightened political tensions in Kaduna, where rivalries between factions and opposition groups have often sparked unrest.
