Bakassi, Cross River State, Nigeria – Suspected political thugs disrupted the planned opening of a new office belonging to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a political party in Nigeria, in Bakassi Local Government Area of Cross River State in southern Nigeria.
The incident occurred on Saturday when party members and supporters had gathered for the official launch of the party’s secretariat in the local government area. Witnesses said the attackers suddenly arrived at the venue and began scattering the arrangements prepared for the event.
According to reports, the group forcefully dispersed those present and destroyed items that had been set up for the ceremony, including canopies, chairs, loudspeakers, and other equipment intended for the gathering.
A video circulating on social media appeared to show a group of young men dismantling the setup while shouting that the African Democratic Congress would not be allowed to operate in the council area.
In the footage, a man believed to be coordinating the group could be heard instructing others to destroy the arrangements. The individual claimed that the ADC had not been active in the area when members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nigeria’s ruling political party at the federal level, were working to improve the council area.
The Cross River State Police Command, the branch of the Nigeria Police Force responsible for law enforcement in Cross River State, confirmed that the disruption occurred and described the attackers as hoodlums.
The spokesperson for the command, Assistant Superintendent of Police Sunday Eitokpah, said officers were quickly deployed to restore order after the disturbance began.
He said the gathering was about to begin when the attackers appeared and caused chaos at the venue.
“The hoodlums from nowhere came and scattered the canopies, chairs and sound systems.”
Eitokpah added that security personnel moved to the scene to prevent the situation from escalating into wider violence.
“Officers and tactical team are at the scene. The event couldn’t continue again. In such a chaotic situation, and considering the volatile nature of the area, for now, no arrests have been made,” he stated.
The police said the situation had since been brought under control, although the planned opening ceremony could not proceed because of the disruption.
Okay News reports that the incident followed another disturbance earlier in the week involving activities of the same political party in Calabar, the capital city of Cross River State in southern Nigeria.
On Tuesday, party members said their activities in Calabar were also disrupted. The African Democratic Congress later raised concerns about what it described as attempts by unidentified individuals to take over the party’s structure in the state.
Political tensions around party organization and leadership structures sometimes occur in Nigeria’s highly competitive political environment, especially as parties prepare for internal congresses and local political mobilization.
Authorities have not yet announced whether investigations into Saturday’s incident will lead to arrests.
