What began as a routine party congress in Enugu quickly descended into chaos on Monday after suspected political thugs stormed the venue and forced a temporary halt to proceedings.
The event, held at Aborigene Hall, was part of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC)’s nationwide congress across all states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Party members had gathered in large numbers, and for a while, things appeared to be going according to plan.
That changed abruptly when a motion was introduced to dissolve the party’s interim State Working Committee.
Eyewitnesses say the atmosphere shifted almost instantly.
“They started pulling down banners and ordering everyone to leave,” one attendee said. “People didn’t even understand what was happening at first.”
Panic followed as participants scrambled to exit the venue.
Although no group has claimed responsibility, some party insiders believe the disruption may be linked to recent high-profile defections into the NDC.
According to one visibly upset member, “Some of these people just joined the party after the recent defections, and now they want to take control of the structure.”
Despite the confusion, party officials later regrouped and resumed the congress under tighter security.
The exercise eventually concluded with the emergence of Dr. Johnpaul Anih as the new state chairman.
Anih, a former aide to ex-Enugu State governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, secured the position through a consensus arrangement.
He had previously contested for a seat in the state assembly under the Labour Party in the 2023 elections.
In his acceptance speech, Anih thanked party members for their confidence in him and promised to focus on strengthening the party’s presence in the state.
He also called for unity, urging members to move past internal differences.
“We have to work together if we want to build something strong,” he said, extending a hand of reconciliation to his rival, Ibuchukwu Obetta.
Other officials elected at the congress include Dr. Sebastian Okafor as State Secretary, Florence Anigbo as Woman Leader, and Clinton Ogbonna as Youth Leader.
Even with the disruption, the party appears determined to push ahead but the incident highlights growing tensions within its ranks at a time when political alignments ahead of 2027 are becoming increasingly intense.
