Will APC Burn Down the Country to Rule Over the Ashes?

By Mohammed Bello Doka 

"The evil man is the one who can set his country aflame, just so he can rule over the ashes." — Sun Tzu

Yesterday in Kaduna, a group of hoodlums stormed the venue of an African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition meeting, leaving several members injured and forcing an abrupt end to the gathering. Witnesses accused ruling party loyalists of masterminding the chaos, describing it as part of a calculated pattern to silence dissenting voices ahead of the 2027 elections.

Barely 24 hours later, a fresh crisis erupted in Kebbi State, where the ADC Dandi Local Government accused the police of forcefully defacing and taking over its local government headquarters. The opposition party described the act as a brazen abuse of power and a dangerous precedent that could further heat up the polity.

These incidents are not isolated. In recent weeks, Nigeria has witnessed a disturbing trend of state-backed violence, intimidation, and suppression of opposition parties — both within and outside the All Progressives Congress (APC). Just a few days ago, in Ekiti State, Engr. Kayode Ojo’s campaign team accused the sitting APC governor of unleashing violence, including alleged shootings, on opposition members within the same party. The blood-stained struggle for supremacy inside the APC itself shows that no dissent is tolerated, even from those wearing the same political colours.

The creeping normalisation of political violence raises serious questions: how long before these clashes boil over into uncontrollable anarchy? How long before Nigeria’s fragile democracy is drowned under the weight of bullets and brute force?

Timeline of Attacks on Opposition in 2025:

13 Jan 2025 — Lagos State House of Assembly (Lagos): Speaker Mudashiru Obasa impeached; Mojisola Meranda elected speaker amid a bitter leadership tussle. 

16 Jan 2025 — Benin City (Edo State): APC operatives allegedly forcefully took over the PDP state secretariat at No. 49, Airport Road; PDP later dragged APC chair to court. 

18 Feb 2025 — Lagos State House of Assembly, Alausa (Lagos): DSS/other security operatives deployed inside the Assembly during the speakership conflict, prompting uproar. 

Mid–22 Feb 2025 (week of) — Irewole / Ikire / Ilesa area (Osun State): Violence erupted during local government resumption; the reinstated Irewole council chairman (Remi/Aderemi Abass) and others were killed in clashes. 

18 Mar 2025 — Port Harcourt (Rivers State): President declared a six-month state of emergency, suspending Governor Siminalayi Fubara, deputy and the state assembly; a sole administrator was appointed. 

4 Apr 2025 — Abuja: Former APC House aspirant Ibraheem Bolarinwa Oyekunle narrowly escaped an assassination attempt along Airport Road (Gwosa Market). 

15 Aug 2025 — Abuja: APC chieftain Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi survived a targeted assassination attempt after Jumu’at prayers. 

27 Aug 2025 — Ikere-Ekiti (Ekiti State): Engr. Kayode Ojo’s campaign team accused agents loyal to the sitting APC governor of orchestrating violent attacks on rivals within the party. 

30 Aug 2025 — Kaduna (Mogadishu Layout): Hoodlums attacked an ADC coalition meeting led by former governor Nasir El-Rufai; scores wounded and vehicles damaged. 

31 Aug 2025 — Kamba, Dandi LGA (Kebbi State): ADC Dandi Local Government accused police officers of defacing its local government headquarters (party leaders: Nasuru Aliyu — Chairman; Garba Umar — Secretary; Hon. Umar Yakubu Kamba — ADC Dandi leader). (Incident detail provided from party report.)

These disturbing incidents paint a grim picture of a democracy under siege. The recurring violence and politically motivated attacks raise the chilling question: is power in Nigeria now only to be won and retained at gunpoint? The pattern is too consistent to dismiss as coincidence, and it speaks to a growing culture where political competition has become a blood sport.

But beyond politics, ordinary Nigerians continue to live under the constant shadow of terror. While leaders fight among themselves for supremacy, bandits and terrorists are running riot across the country. Communities are razed, families torn apart, and lives snuffed out in preventable tragedies.

Timeline of Terrorist and Bandit Attacks in 2025:

January 2025 (Katsina State): Bandits stormed Faskari LGA, killing at least 25 villagers and kidnapping over 40 others.

February 2025 (Zamfara State): Terrorists abducted more than 100 residents from Anka and Maradun communities in coordinated midnight raids.

March 2025 (Kaduna State): A passenger train heading to Abuja was attacked by gunmen, with at least 12 people killed and dozens abducted.

April 2025 (Benue State): Armed herdsmen killed 32 farmers in Logo and Guma LGAs, sparking mass displacement.

July 2025 (Niger State): Bandits kidnapped 60 women and children in Shiroro LGA, demanding millions in ransom.

August 2025 (Sokoto State): More than 20 worshippers were massacred during Juma’at prayers in Isa LGA.

When one draws a parallel between the timeline of political violence and the timeline of terrorist killings, a chilling reality emerges: while Nigerians are being slaughtered in their hundreds and over 133 million citizens wallow in multidimensional poverty, the APC government is more focused on silencing opponents, hijacking state institutions, and tightening its grip on power at all costs.

Instead of addressing hunger, joblessness, and insecurity, the ruling party deploys state actors — police, thugs, and security agencies — not to protect citizens, but to muzzle critics. This dangerous substitution of governance with politics leaves Nigeria sitting on a ticking time bomb.

The questions that must haunt every Nigerian are stark:

Will APC burn down the country just to rule over the ashes?

How long can a nation survive when politics takes priority over food, security, and education?

And when the oppressed finally rise, who will be left to govern?

Power, no matter how absolute it may seem in the moment, is fleeting. History is littered with the ruins of men who mistook their temporary hold on authority for eternal dominion. Those who sacrifice their nation’s peace and stability for the sake of clinging to power will eventually be remembered not for their victories, but for the chaos and destruction they left behind. In the end, the ashes they ruled over become their own legacy, a testament to greed and short-sightedness.

Those in power today must take heed: true leadership is not about crushing opponents or manipulating systems, but about service to the people and safeguarding the nation’s future. Nigeria’s destiny should not be mortgaged for temporary gains or political dominance. If those in authority choose the path of justice, unity, and compassion, they will write their names in gold; but if they choose destruction for the sake of power, history and posterity will be their harshest judges.

"Politics is the last refuge of scoundrels who seek power not to serve, but to dominate." — Anonymous