Members of the African Democratic Congress had their event abruptly stopped on Saturday after a group of suspected thugs believed to be linked to the All Progressives Congress disrupted a gathering in Bakassi Local Government Area, Cross Rivers State.
The event was organised to officially open a new ADC secretariat in the area. Party members had already prepared the venue with canopies, chairs, tables and loudspeakers ahead of the ceremony.
According to witnesses, the programme was about to begin when a group of youths suddenly stormed the venue and caused chaos. They reportedly scattered the items arranged for the event and forced those present to flee, bringing the gathering to an immediate end.
A video that later circulated on social media showed some of the thugs chasing people away while damaging equipment set up for the programme. Some of the individuals in the footage were also heard making political comments while the disruption was taking place.
As of the time this report was filed, the identities of those involved had not been independently confirmed.
Reacting to the incident, the 2023 governorship candidate of the ADC in Cross River State, Effiong Nyong, described the development as unfortunate and worrying.
Nyong said the disruption appeared to be politically motivated and called on authorities to investigate the incident. He also said the situation shows how poverty has been used to influence people to cause trouble.
He added that the ADC would continue its civic education and political mobilisation efforts among residents in the state. He also encouraged opposition groups in Cross River to work together.
Nyong further urged the state government to ensure that those responsible for the disruption are identified and brought to justice.
The spokesperson for the Cross River State Police Command, Eitokpah Sunday, confirmed the incident and described those involved as hoodlums.
According to him, the group suddenly appeared at the venue and scattered the canopies, chairs and sound systems that had been set up for the event.
He said police officers and tactical teams were quickly deployed to the area to restore order and prevent the situation from escalating into a larger crisis.
Sunday also said no arrests had been made at the time of the report. However, security personnel have been stationed in the area to maintain peace because of the sensitive nature of the locality.
Attempts to contact the newly elected chairman of the APC in the state, Christopher Etta, for comments were unsuccessful as calls and messages sent to his phone had not been returned at the time of filing this report.
