Political thugs on Monday disrupted the state congress of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Enugu, throwing the exercise into chaos during a critical phase of the party’s efforts to strengthen its structure at the state level.
The incident occurred at Aborigene Hall in Enugu, where party members had gathered for the congress, part of ongoing activities to consolidate the party’s presence across states amid recent political realignments.
The disruption came barely 24 hours after the defection of former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and former Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, to the NDC in Abuja, a development widely seen as a significant boost to the party’s national profile.
The two political figures were formally received into the party on Sunday by the NDC national leader, Seriake Dickson, alongside other party executives and supporters at the party’s national secretariat.
Sources at the congress disclosed that the crisis began when a motion was raised for the dissolution of the party’s protem State Working Committee, triggering tension among attendees.
Shortly after the motion was moved, suspected thugs reportedly stormed the venue, disrupted proceedings, and ordered participants to vacate the premises, escalating the situation and forcing attendees to disperse.
“They began by pulling down banners and insisting that everyone must leave. The situation quickly escalated and people had to disperse,” a party member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.
The source further alleged that some individuals who recently joined the party attempted to assert control over the state structure, leading to internal disagreements and heightened tension among members.
Despite the disruption, the congress later resumed under tight security, with party officials continuing the exercise to its conclusion.
At the end of the congress, Dr. Johnpaul Anih emerged as the new NDC State Chairman in Enugu. Anih, a former Special Assistant on Youth Affairs to ex-governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, was elected alongside other members of the state executive committee.
Efforts to obtain an official reaction from the party leadership were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
