The Imo State chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Professor James Okoroma, has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of sponsoring the recent attack on former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

Okoroma made the claim during an interview with Arise News on Thursday, warning that such violence against opposition figures is dangerous for Nigeria’s democracy.

According to him, the hoodlums who disrupted an event attended by El-Rufai were allegedly paid and transported in hired buses.

“I cannot tell you the figures behind it or the persons behind it. But from our own independent investigations, it is actually the handwork of the APC. The APC that is bothered about the growing political influence of the African Democratic Congress,” Okoroma said.

“The hoodlums who came, from what we gathered, were even paid. I was there. Buses were hired. Somebody paid for those buses. Somebody motivated those people who came. The placards they displayed were also paid for. People spent money to procure the equipment they used,” he added.

The ADC chieftain described the incident as part of a worrying trend of political violence.

He noted that similar attacks had happened in other states and warned that targeting El-Rufai now an influential member of the ADC coalition could destabilize the country.

He urged the APC-led government to focus on fixing the economy, tackling poverty, and improving infrastructure instead of allegedly attacking opponents.