PDP chieftain calls on Ebonyi police to protect opposition after alleged attack on return rally
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State, Barrister Ifeanyi Nworie, has called on the state police command to protect opposition parties, their members and journalists covering their activities.
Nworie, a former PDP chairman in the state, made the call while condemning an alleged attack on PDP members and journalists during a political event at Ikwuator village, Idemba community, in Ezza South Local Government Area. The Ebonyi State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) had also raised concerns over the alleged assault on its members.
Nworie defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) shortly after the 2023 general elections and returned to the PDP last week at a rally held at his compound. He alleged that more than 50 suspected thugs invaded the venue, disrupted the event, attacked participants including journalists, and destroyed plastic chairs, canopies and other property. He accused the ruling APC of being behind the disruption; the party denied the claim.
He further alleged that the Ebonyi State Police Command failed to provide adequate security despite prior notification. A letter dated 31 July 2026, in which Nworie requested security coverage and cited threats to his life and those of supporters and party officers, was sighted by reporters. He said policemen watched as the attackers stormed the venue.
The Ebonyi State Police Command denied receiving any letter or petition relating to the event or the alleged attacks. In a statement signed by spokesperson SP Joshua Ukandu, the command stated that no such petition had been received.
The APC state chairman, Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha, also denied involvement. He suggested that individuals uncomfortable with Nworie’s political activities might have been responsible and said the party follows Governor Francis Nwifuru’s preference for avoiding conflict. He maintained that the APC had no reason to engage in violence.
The episode highlights a recurring structural problem in sub-national politics: the gap between a formal request for security and the protection actually provided at opposition events. When an incident occurs, the competing claims—prior notice versus non-receipt of petition, party sponsorship versus individual action—become the immediate contest. The practical test is whether future opposition gatherings in the state receive consistent protection regardless of which party is organising them.
