Tension erupted at the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary election in Ebonyi State on Monday following an alleged attack on the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ebonyi State Council, Comrade Samson Nwafor, and other journalists by suspected political thugs reportedly linked to the Senator representing Ebonyi Central Senatorial District, Senator Kenneth Chukwuemeka Eze.
The incident occurred at the APC primary election collation centre in Onueke, headquarters of Ezza South Local Government Area, shortly after Senator Eze was declared winner of the party’s senatorial primary election for Ebonyi Central by the chairman of the electoral committee for the zone, Senator Anthony Agbo.
Our correspondent, who monitored the exercise, reports that trouble started when journalists covering the exercise approached Senator Eze shortly after the announcement of the result for comments on his victory and the conduct of the primary.
Rather than responding to questions from the media, the senator allegedly became visibly agitated and accused some journalists of publishing reports he considered unfavourable to his political activities and re-election bid.
Eyewitnesses at the venue said efforts by the NUJ State Chairman, Comrade Samson Nwafor, to calm the situation and mediate between the senator and members of the press failed, as the lawmaker allegedly rebuffed repeated attempts at intervention.
The situation reportedly degenerated when some individuals identified as aides and loyalists of the senator, including one Kizito Nwankwo, allegedly descended on journalists and members of the NUJ leadership in an attempt to physically assault them.
The development triggered panic at the venue as journalists and political observers scampered for safety amid fears of further attack.
Some journalists alleged that certain supporters of the senator were seen taking photographs and video recordings of reporters while issuing threats against members of the press, particularly the NUJ Chairman.
The incident has since generated concern within media and civil society circles in Ebonyi State, especially given Senator Eze’s position as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation.
Observers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the development as disturbing and inconsistent with democratic principles and constitutional guarantees of press freedom and freedom of expression.
They warned that such confrontations between political actors and journalists could undermine media independence and threaten democratic accountability ahead of the 2027 general elections.
It was further gathered that Senator Eze had on previous occasions declined media interactions during activities linked to his re-election campaign, including events surrounding the endorsement of his candidacy by stakeholders and the purchase of his nomination and expression of interest forms.
As of the time of filing this report, neither Senator Eze nor his media team had issued any official statement regarding the allegations surrounding the incident.
Post a Comment