By Samuel Nworah
The presidential campaign convoy of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar came under attack in Kebbi State on Thursday, November 5, 2026, with journalists covering the African Democratic Congress (ADC) campaign reportedly losing cameras and other equipment in the violence.
The incident has drawn strong condemnation from Amnesty International, which warned that attacks on opposition political activities are becoming a serious threat to democratic participation and the freedom of political parties to campaign peacefully ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to accounts from the ADC campaign team, suspected political thugs blocked the convoy’s route as it moved through Birnin Kebbi for political engagements. The attackers reportedly hurled stones at vehicles and deliberately targeted members of the media crew accompanying the campaign.
Several cameras, video-recording devices, tripods and other essential working equipment were reportedly destroyed, disrupting the media team’s ability to continue covering the campaign activities.
A member of the campaign team alleged that the attackers were not interested in stealing valuables but had deliberately set out to destroy equipment used to document the candidate’s activities.
“The thugs did not come to steal. They came to destroy. They targeted our cameras and video crew because they did not want Nigerians to see what is happening here in Kebbi,” the campaign official reportedly said.
The ADC campaign organisation also alleged that the attackers were politically sponsored. However, the identities of those responsible and any alleged sponsors had not been independently established in the reports available at the time of publication.
*Amnesty International condemns attack*
Amnesty International condemned the incident, describing it as a threat to the constitutional rights of opposition political parties and their supporters to organise, assemble and participate in peaceful political activities.
In a statement published on Thursday, the human rights organisation said it had analysed video footage showing armed gangs attacking vehicles, blocking roads and striking people with cutlasses.
The organisation also reported that journalists accompanying the campaign were targeted, with cameras and other media equipment destroyed.
Amnesty warned that the destruction of journalists’ equipment was particularly disturbing because it could prevent independent documentation of political events and discourage media professionals from reporting on opposition activities.
It further accused Nigerian authorities of failing to ensure accountability for previous attacks on opposition supporters in states including Niger, Kaduna, Edo and Enugu.
The organisation warned that continued violence and intimidation could create an atmosphere of fear in which citizens would be discouraged from participating in political activities.
*Growing concerns over opposition safety*
The Kebbi incident comes amid a series of reported attacks and confrontations involving opposition political activities.
Barely a day earlier, the convoy of Peter Obi, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, was attacked in Calabar, Cross River State. Police confirmed the arrest of a suspect in connection with that incident, although an arrest does not establish guilt.
There were also reports of violence during ADC campaign activities in Sokoto State, where at least two supporters were reportedly shot and several vehicles attacked. Some of the claims surrounding that incident were disputed or had not been independently confirmed by the police.
The latest development has renewed questions about the ability of political parties to conduct campaigns without intimidation and the responsibility of security agencies to protect all participants, regardless of political affiliation.
*Atiku’s candidacy faces a separate legal challenge*
The attack in Kebbi also occurred on a day of significant political and legal developments for the ADC.
A Federal High Court in Abuja reportedly nullified the process that produced the party’s David Mark-led leadership and set aside Atiku Abubakar’s emergence as its presidential candidate. The case followed a challenge by former ADC deputy national chairman Nafiu Bala Gombe over the party’s leadership and nomination processes.
The ADC rejected the decision as politically motivated and indicated that it would challenge the ruling. The legal dispute therefore remains an important part of the political situation surrounding the party and its preparations for the 2027 election.
The court development, however, does not diminish the need to investigate the reported violence in Kebbi or protect the rights of journalists and political supporters.
*A test for Nigeria’s democratic process*
Political campaigns are an essential part of democratic life. Parties and candidates must be able to meet voters, present their programmes, criticise government policies and seek public support without facing violence.
Journalists must also be free to report these activities without having their equipment destroyed or their safety threatened.
As political activities gather momentum ahead of the 2027 elections, the Kebbi incident presents another test for Nigeria’s security institutions. The authorities will need to investigate the reported attack, identify those responsible and ensure that political violence does not become an accepted feature of the electoral process.
For Amnesty International, the central concern is the protection of citizens’ fundamental rights. For Nigerians, the larger question is whether the country can approach another election without intimidation, violence and fear undermining the democratic choices available to voters.
