* Storm NDC ikeja town hall meeting, vandalise vehicles, injure members
* Party supporters attacked in Delta, Enugu, Gombe
* Obi, Yesufu condemn attack
By Ahmed Akanbi And Hosea Parah
In what looks like intimidation, ahead of the 2027 general elections, the opposition parties are beginning to feel the heat, with spares of violence in some parts of the country.
The latest of such attacks was carried out on the members and supporters of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Lagos State on Thursday at Oregun, Ikeja.
The party faithful had gathered for a town hall meeting to be addressed by the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, when suspected political thugs attacked attacked them.
The attack reportedly occurred around 11:00 a.m. at the Classique Event Centre along Kudirat Abiola Way, sending attendees scampering for safety and triggering panic in the surrounding commercial district.
Motorists on Kudirat Abiola Way were forced to make abrupt U-turns to avoid the melee, while pedestrians fled the area.
Witnesses said neither Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, nor Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State, had arrived at the venue when the attackers struck.
Shattered glass littered the floor of the disrupted venue, while several vehicles belonging to NDC members and supporters were vandalised.
One supporter, who sustained a head injury, told Channels Television that hoodlums armed with cutlasses invaded the area in an attempt to derail the gathering.
He said more NDC members were mobilised to resist the assailants, eventually forcing them to retreat.
“They started fighting back, breaking our vehicles, and destroying property,” the injured supporter said, adding that attendees retaliated in self-defence despite being outnumbered.
Armed policemen and security patrol vehicles were later deployed to the venue to restore order and prevent further escalation.
After law enforcement arrived, the atmosphere gradually stabilised, with NDC supporters seen dancing, singing and raising the party’s flag as they awaited their presidential ticket.
The NDC governorship candidate in Lagos State, Funso Doherty, also arrived at the venue to assess the extent of the damage.
As of the time of filing this report, the circumstances behind the attack and the identities of the perpetrators remained unclear, with the Lagos State Police Command yet to release an official statement.
Eyewitness account
As reported by FIJ, an eyewitness, Isaac Obasi, said the attackers stormed Classique Event Place, located on Kudirat Abiola Way, Oregun, at about 11 am, armed with guns, machetes and cutlasses, adding that they injured some NDC members, smashed vehicles, and seized the phones and cameras of some journalists at the venue.
“The APC thugs came around 11 am and suddenly attacked members of the NDC who were at the venue. We came for a town hall meeting with His Excellency Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of our party. All of a sudden, APC thugs stormed the venue and attacked NDC members at the Ikeja location of the meeting.
“They were armed with guns, machetes and cutlasses. They injured some of our members and smashed vehicles. They also seized the phones and cameras of some journalists who were covering the event.
“About 10 vehicles, including coaster buses and private cars, were destroyed, and five people were injured. Although security personnel and NDC members confronted the attackers, forcing them to retreat, they were still threatening to return for another attack. This is unacceptable, and we cannot allow it. We reject this act,” he said.
‘Your sacrifice won’t be in vain,’ says Obi
In his reaction, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, assured Nigerians that their sacrifices and efforts towards building a country they deserve will not be in vain.
Obi, who gave the assurance on Thursday during the party’s town hall meeting in Ikeja, Lagos State, said the party would campaign across all parts of Lagos.
He also commended party members and supporters for their conduct despite the incident.
Obi said Lagos could be better under an NDC government and urged residents to support the party’s governorship candidate, Funso Doherty.
Speaking on his plans for the country, the presidential candidate said Nigerians deserved a united nation, adding that he and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, were committed to securing the country.
“I and Rabiu Kwankwaso are committed to securing Nigeria,” Obi said.
He promised that an Obi-Kwankwaso administration would fight corruption and provide 10,000 megawatts of electricity, insisting that achieving the target was not rocket science.
He also pledged to ensure that every ward in the country had a functional primary healthcare centre.
‘We’ll be refined, rugged,’ says Yesufu
Also reacting, a chieftain of the NDC, Aisha Yesufu, has warned that the party and its supporters will not tolerate intimidation ahead of the 2027 general elections, declaring that they will be both “refined and rugged” in their political engagements.
Speaking at the NDC town hall meeting in Lagos on Thursday, Yesufu said the party would not allow anyone to intimidate its members, insisting that supporters would stand up against attacks.
“In 2023 we were refined, in 2027 we will be refined and rugged. Nobody has monopoly of madness and anybody wey say him dey crase we go send am go psychiatric hospital. We are not slaves, we are citizens. This campaign is not Peter Gregory Obi campaign, it is our campaign,” Yesufu said.
Thursday’s unrest adds to growing concerns over electoral violence raised by Obi and the NDC following reported hostilities against party supporters in Delta, Cross River, Gombe, and Benue states, including a recent attack on Obi’s convoy in Calabar. The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has previously denied any involvement in the incidents.
It was reported that suspected political thugs attacked supporters of the NDC during a campaign mobilisation exercise in Okpai Community, Ndokwa East Local Government Area.
The incident, which reportedly occurred on Wednesday, left some NDC supporters injured and a vehicle damaged.
As reported by Sahara Reporters, a prominent X user and activist, Chuks Eric, shared a video of the incident, showing the aftermath of the attack and a damaged vehicle belonging to the campaign team.
In the footage seen by SaharaReporters, a narrator accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of sponsoring the attackers, alleging that the thugs blocked the road and prevented the NDC supporters from entering the community.
“This means APC are sponsoring these thugs. See what they did to our vehicles. They have blocked the road and said we should not enter,” the narrator said while showing the damaged vehicle.
The narrator further accused the ruling party of encouraging political violence and warned that those responsible might attempt to distort the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“APC is sponsoring thuggery, and tomorrow they will change the narrative,” the narrator alleged.
Expressing anger over the attack, the NDC supporter questioned why political opponents should be prevented from campaigning in a democratic society simply because they do not belong to the APC.
“Everybody must not be under APC. Are we not in a democracy? Is it a do-or-die affair? Is it a do-or-die party?” the narrator asked.
The narrator also expressed concern that the confrontation could have resulted in fatalities, questioning what would have happened if someone had been killed during the incident.
“So if they had murdered somebody, what would they have done? This is bad to us,” the narrator added.
The incident has raised concerns about political intolerance and the safety of opposition supporters during political mobilisation activities in the state.
In a related development, SaharaReporters had also reported how an African Action Congress (AAC) candidate for the Lagos State House of Assembly, Ishola Rauf Shina, accused political thugs suspected to be loyal to the APC of destroying his party’s campaign banner bearing images of prominent AAC chieftains, including its presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, in Oworoshoki, Lagos State.
Shina, who is contesting to represent Kosofe Constituency 1 in the 2027 general elections, said the campaign banner was torn down at Car Wash, Oworoshoki, in what he described as an attempt to intimidate opposition candidates and suppress their political activities.
Similarly, thugs suspected yesterday set up a bonfire along Jekadafari Road, near the family house of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya to prevent the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Prof Isa Ali Pantami, from entering Gombe town.
The incident took place when Pantami was on his way to the state capital for a political rally on Wednesday.
The rally and reception were organised by the Gombe State chapter of the PDP to honour its governorship candidate, Pantami, following the publication of his name by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Eyewitnesses said the youths, suspected to be members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), stormed the busy road and blocked it with tyres before setting them ablaze.
The burning tyres sent thick black smoke into the air, causing panic among motorists, commuters and residents of Jekadafari area.
Vehicular movement on the road was disrupted for several minutes, as motorists were forced to abandon the route and seek alternative roads to their destinations.
Traders and shop owners around the area were also said to have hurriedly closed their shops for fear that the situation could escalate into a violent clash between rival political groups.
Despite the blockade, Pantami’s motorcade, comprising hundreds of vehicles, was able to force its way through and continue the procession to the venue of the rally.
Supporters in the motorcade cheered and chanted solidarity songs as they navigated through the thick smoke.
It was reported that another group of youths, armed with dangerous weapons, smashed the windscreens of several vehicles in the motorcade, sparking panic among supporters and other road users.
It took the intervention of security personnel deployed to the area to restore normalcy.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official statement from Pantami or his aides regarding the situation.
Also, the Gombe State Police Command was yet to issue a statement on the incident.
Meanwhile, addressing supporters at the Emir’s Palace, Gombe, Pantami warned the people of Gombe state from voting politicians who he said view the state’s resources as political spoils to be shared after winning an election.
“One of the candidates said that if elected, he would share Gombe’s resources as spoils of war. I want the people of Gombe to understand that this state is not a hunting ground, and its resources are not political spoils.
“Gombe’s resources belong to the people of Gombe; they are not spoils of war. What I intend to do is provide jobs for the people, support youths and farmers, and make fertiliser available to boost agricultural production,” he added.
He explained that awarding contracts to local contractors would be part of his strategy to stimulate the state’s economy, noting that such opportunities would enable them to earn income, create jobs and expand their businesses.
In his remarks, the PDP leader in the state, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, thanked party supporters for turning out in large numbers to welcome the party’s governorship candidate and demonstrate their support for him.
Also speaking, the National Chairman of the PDP, Abdurrahman Muhammad, called on party leaders, members and supporters to remain united, strengthen the party and work collectively towards securing victory in Gombe State.