{"id":7328,"date":"2026-03-15T23:22:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-15T22:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pillartoday.ng\/?p=7328"},"modified":"2026-03-15T23:28:32","modified_gmt":"2026-03-15T22:28:32","slug":"march-14-attack-on-bakassi-adc-violence-cannot-silence-democracy-austine-ibok","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"pillartoday.com.ng\/?p=7328","title":{"rendered":"March 14 Attack on Bakassi ADC: Violence Cannot Silence Democracy, Austine Ibok"},"content":{"rendered":"

ADC chieftain in the state, Austine Ibok.<\/em><\/p>\n

By Anietie Akpan<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u200e\u200eThe African Democratic Congress (ADC( Coalition Movement in Cross River state has condemned recent attack on the coalition\u2019s political gathering in Bakassi saying, violence and intimidation will not silence the coalition.<\/p>\n

One of the leaders of ADC in the state, Mr. Austine Ibok in a statement on Sunday, said the ADC held an event on March 14, 2026, in Bakassi, Cross River State, and it was a peaceful political gathering that was exposed to a troubling display of intimidation and violence by the APC thugs.<\/p>\n

In a video that has gone viral, a voice was heard shouting, \u201cWhat is going on in our Bakassi? We don\u2019t need any party hear apart from APC, scatter everywhere \u2026 God punish una (them) there, scatter everywhere\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Ibok noted, \u201cthe incident has raised serious concerns about the abuse of power, the alleged sponsorship of cult groups, and the suppression of political opposition\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u200eHe said, \u201ceyewitness accounts and video evidence indicate that individuals believed to be associated with cult groups sponsored by individuals in the APC disrupted the event, attacking members and supporters of the coalition.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the chaos, several people were beaten and wounded, property belonging to vendors and event organizers, including canopies, chairs, and musical equipments, properties of the ADC Coalitions, were destroyed, and even a DSS officer on duty was reportedly assaulted, slapped, and had his clothes torn while attempting to carry out his responsibilities.<\/p>\n

\u200e\u201dObservers have linked this situation to certain political figures and individuals in Bakassi and across the state\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u200eIbok said, \u201clet it be clearly stated: intimidation will not silence the ADC Coalition or its supporters. Political power and financial influence may last four or eight years, but justice, truth, and accountability endure far longer. Those who believe they can act with impunity today should remember that actions have consequences, and the seeds planted now will inevitably yield a harvest\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u200eHe expressed the coalition\u2019s deepest apologies to solidarity members and supporters who were injured during the attack, and to the business owners whose properties, canopies, chairs, and music equipments, were destroyed while they were simply providing services,.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe also acknowledge the DSS officer who was assaulted while performing his duty. As a party and movement, working together with our Chapter Chairman, Mr. Emmanuel Asuquo, we are committed to supporting those affected and ensuring that their losses and suffering are not ignored.<\/p>\n

\u200e\u201dIt is important to note that attempts to exploit internal misunderstandings within our chapter as justification for the attack failed. Prior to the event, those differences had already been resolved, something our opponents were unaware of\u201d, he added.<\/p>\n

\u200eIbok further stated that, \u201cwhile there are concerns about the compromised conduct of some security agencies during the incident, a formal petition will still be filed with the police for record purposes, and future references, not for investigation, because rarely will you have justice, but explore other available channels.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, the ADC movement will also take lawful and self-defense steps to ensure the protection and safety of its members going forward, as we can’t rely on security agencies’ protection anymore, this for us signals what lies ahead of us in the state as opposition, so should be prepared to face it squarely, no one or group of persons has monopoly of violence.<\/p>\n

\u200e\u201dCross River State belongs to all its people, not to fear, intimidation, or violence. Loyalty should never be rewarded above competence, and governance should never be used as a weapon against dissenting voices\u2026The struggle for justice, accountability, and true democracy will continue\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u200eMeanwhile, a group, APC: Defenders of Bakassi’s Peace and Progress, in an unsigned statement said, \u201cthe incident in question was not an attack, but a defensive action by APC supporters who have seen their community ravaged by insecurity. They are not thugs; they’re guardians of Bakassi’s peace. Their message is clear: any political gathering must prioritize community safety\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ADC chieftain in the state, Austine Ibok. By Anietie Akpan \u200e\u200eThe African Democratic Congress (ADC( Coalition Movement in Cross River state has condemned recent attack on the coalition\u2019s political gathering in Bakassi saying, violence and intimidation will not silence the coalition. One of the leaders of ADC in the state, Mr. Austine Ibok in a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":6022,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7328","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"pillartoday.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7328","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"pillartoday.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"pillartoday.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"pillartoday.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"pillartoday.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7328"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"pillartoday.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7328\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7329,"href":"pillartoday.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7328\/revisions\/7329"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"pillartoday.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6022"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"pillartoday.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7328"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"pillartoday.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7328"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"pillartoday.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}