Political tensions flared in Nigeria’s Enugu State over the weekend as leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) accused opposition groups of orchestrating violent attacks to disrupt a rally welcoming over 1,000 defectors from rival parties. The incident, which occurred at St. Charles Catholic Church field in Opi, Nsukka, saw alleged agents of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) destroy canopies, plastic seats, and campaign materials, according to APC officials.
Senior APC figures, including Nigerian Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology Uche Nnaji, Enugu APC Chairman Ugochukwu Agballah, and federal lawmakers Sunday Umeha, Chimobi Atu, and Paul Nnamchi, condemned the violence. They issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the Enugu State government and the PDP to either denounce the incident or accept responsibility. Despite the disruptions, the rally proceeded, with defectors from the PDP, Labour Party, and three smaller parties officially joining the APC.
Minister Nnaji hailed the resolve of attendees, emphasizing their refusal to be intimidated. “We are not afraid of anybody,” he declared, crediting President Bola Tinubu’s administration with federal projects in Enugu, including road construction, job creation, and the appointment of a Nsukka native as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria. He indirectly criticized unnamed figures for “trying to reap where they did not sow,” suggesting internal PDP instability had driven defections.
Former Enugu Housing Commissioner Peter Okonkwo, a key APC stakeholder, described repeated attacks by individuals he identified as members of the state-backed Neighbourhood Watch and Forest Guard. He alleged three separate assaults involving gunfire, property destruction, and the desecration of President Tinubu’s campaign posters. “They wounded people, shot double-barreled guns, and destroyed millions in property,” Okonkwo claimed, vowing continued support for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid despite the violence.
APC Chairman Agballah linked the incident to prior attacks on party events in Udi and Igbo-Eze North, noting that while earlier rallies had relocated under pressure, this gathering stood firm. Federal lawmakers present invoked a contentious reference to former military leader Sani Abacha, asserting that prolonged inaction by authorities over such incidents implied government complicity.
The APC officials also highlighted broader political aspirations, arguing that alignment with Nigeria’s federal government under Tinubu had brought tangible benefits to the southeast, including a newly approved federal university in Ako Nike. The clash underscores deepening rivalries in Enugu, a historically PDP-dominated region, as the APC intensifies efforts to expand its influence ahead of the next electoral cycle.
No immediate response has been issued by the Enugu State government or the PDP regarding the allegations.
