ENUGU — Three opposition governorship candidates in Enugu State have demanded an independent police investigation into alleged attacks on political gatherings, campaign offices and supporters ahead of the 2027 elections.
The candidates are Chief Uche Nnaji of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sir Chinyeaka Ohaa of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and Ozor Obodoeze Ocho of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
They made the demand during a joint press conference in Enugu on Monday, alleging that intimidation, restrictions on political activities and attacks on supporters threatened democratic participation in the state.
They urged the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to establish an investigative team drawn substantially from outside the Enugu State Police Command to investigate the reported incidents, identify those responsible and restore public confidence.
The candidates cited alleged attacks on PDP ward meetings in Akpugo, Obe and Agbani in Nkanu West Local Government Area; an alleged disruption of an NDC meeting at Obuoffia; gunfire at a reception for PDP deputy governorship candidate Chief Ugwu Chijioke Peter in Nsukka on October 3; and incidents involving NDC supporters at Akanu Ibiam International Airport and the party’s campaign office in GRA, Enugu, on October 10.
They alleged that during the Nkanu West meetings, men travelling in vehicles and on motorcycles, some reportedly wearing local government security vests, fired shots, assaulted party members and destroyed canopies, chairs, tables and other property.
They demanded clarification on whether local government security personnel were involved and called for the disclosure of investigation findings and any arrests made.
On the alleged disruption of the NDC meeting at Obuoffia, the candidates said the party had petitioned security authorities and identified suspected perpetrators.
They further alleged that a key witness, Chidi S. Ani, was arrested, charged with cyberbullying and remanded on October 5, questioning the circumstances surrounding the arrest and calling for the original complaint to be investigated without intimidation of witnesses.
The candidates also alleged that officials invaded Nnaji’s campaign office on Abakaliki Road and removed or destroyed campaign materials while a legal challenge to signage regulations was pending before the Federal High Court.
They demanded that the authorities identify those who authorised the operation, account for the materials and return them or provide compensation if unlawful removal or destruction was established.
Ohaa Alleges Airport Attack
Ohaa, a former federal permanent secretary, said his homecoming and flag-off of his campaign office were disrupted by security operatives and armed men.
He alleged that supporters were assaulted, vehicles damaged and journalists covering the event had their phones taken.
“When I alighted from the airport, I was attacked. My members were humiliated by the Chief Security Officer of Enugu State… He was seen by everybody. Many people were wounded, a lot of cars were smashed, and most of the phones of event journalists were taken,” Ohaa said.
He maintained that the NDC had paid the required airport fees and complied with the procedures for receiving supporters, insisting that the party had no intention of conducting campaign activities on the airport tarmac.
Ohaa further alleged that armed men blocked his convoy at different points before confronting him directly.
“When I came there, they blocked me face to face. And I came out and said, ‘Okay, you want to shoot me? Shoot me.’ My car was able to rescue itself out of the blocking, and I entered my car and went to my office.
“This is unbecoming of Enugu State democracy,” he said.
The NDC candidate alleged that eight people were injured during the incident, including a woman reportedly shot in the breast. He also claimed that another victim sustained severe abdominal injuries.
Ohaa further alleged that a person who recorded the incident live had been taken to prison, calling attention to the need to establish the circumstances surrounding the reported detention.
According to the candidates, the NDC had notified security agencies, including the Police, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), of the planned airport reception.
The joint statement also named Umar Abdulkarim, Muhammad Musa and Hassan Gora among those reportedly injured by gunfire at the campaign office. It cited the state government’s identification of 43-year-old Ifeanyi Nworie as a gunshot victim and alleged that Moses Arisi sustained a serious head injury.
The candidates called for investigators to establish the precise location of the alleged violence, determine whether airport access rules were breached and examine CCTV footage, access registers, deployment orders and ammunition records.
They also demanded clarification on who authorised the use of tear gas or firearms, how many rounds were discharged and whether any recovered weapons or ammunition had undergone forensic examination.
The allegations concerning the injuries, reported detention and conduct of security personnel had not been independently verified from the candidates’ accounts.
Nnaji Condemns Intimidation
Nnaji said he attended the press conference to express solidarity with Ohaa and condemn the alleged attacks on political supporters.
“We are assembled here to show solidarity to our brother in the NDC for what he went through… You don’t play politics with bitterness. The more you harass people, the more people troop out. Politics is not about do-or-die,” he said.
Nnaji, who said he had visited victims receiving medical attention, expressed concern over reports that civilians sustained gunshot wounds during the incident.
“There are people that have bullet wounds stuck behind their back, right by the spinal cord… There is a woman that has three bullets in her breast. They move to kill, and their names are known. They are known gunmen, they are not unknown… We are calling on all agents of security in this country to come and help us in Enugu,” he said.
The PDP candidate also rejected suggestions that threats would force opposition figures to abandon their political activities.
“They say it’s dangerous, they say they will kill us, but let me assure them that we are unkillable. Nobody can kill anybody; nobody can kill us. We are unkillable,” Nnaji said.
He further questioned the reported requirement of ₦150 million for campaign advertising permits and alleged that opposition parties faced restrictions in securing venues for political programmes, including hotels.
“Even if you query the 150 million, you still have to go to the advertising agency—they have been mandated not to allow you.
“Even most of our programs, they don’t even allow us to use people’s facilities including hotels. All these things, they are just trying to strangulate us, but you can’t strangulate the will of the people,” he said.
The candidates said the reported advertising requirements covered rallies, billboards, banners, branded vehicles, street campaigns, handbills, buntings, T-shirts and caps across the state’s 17 local government areas.
They also questioned reported penalties of up to ₦50 million for unauthorised posters, arguing that campaign regulations should be lawful, proportionate, affordable and applied equally to all political parties.
Ocho Calls for Fair Political Space
Ocho said the ADC had also experienced an incident involving the destruction of a thanksgiving canopy and venue earlier in the campaign season.
He said the coalition’s intervention was intended to express solidarity with the NDC and draw attention to the wider implications of political violence.
“We are just here to commiserate with NDC on the unfortunate incident that happened to them. It could have been anybody… When you release projectiles, you don’t even know who it is going to hit,” Ocho said.
The ADC candidate questioned the circumstances surrounding access to the airport, noting that the facility had previously been used by people receiving visitors.
“There is a divisional police office inside the airport, and FAAN, being a federal government agency, has been allowing a lot of people to come in and receive their loved ones… So, I’m wondering why the day of the incident was different. The state government cannot deny ignorance,” he said.
Ocho also urged voters to remain at their polling units until their votes had been counted and results recorded, while calling on security agencies to prevent intimidation and violence during the elections.
He called for adequate deployment of federal security personnel to protect voters and prevent interference by hoodlums and cult groups.
Candidates Demand Independent Investigation
Beyond investigating the individual incidents, the candidates called for the preservation of CCTV footage, phone and radio logs, duty rosters, arms and ammunition records, airport access registers and other relevant evidence.
They demanded an interim investigation report within 14 days, medical assistance for injured persons and protection for witnesses, party members and journalists.
They also urged authorities to investigate any state or local government security personnel implicated in the incidents and remove those concerned from operational duties pending investigation where warranted.
The candidates called for the prosecution of anyone found responsible for violence or other unlawful conduct and urged the government to submit any intelligence supporting allegations that opposition figures planned to bring armed thugs or bandits into Enugu to the Police and DSS for investigation.
They further sought a suspension of coercive enforcement of disputed advertising regulations against private political premises pending review, alongside clear, affordable and non-discriminatory campaign guidelines.
They demanded the return of campaign materials unlawfully removed from political offices or appropriate compensation where necessary.
The candidates called on the National Human Rights Commission, civil society organisations, the Nigerian Bar Association and media organisations to monitor the investigations and the protection of political rights.
They also urged Governor Peter Mbah and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to agree to a public peace accord guaranteeing equal access to political venues, impartial policing, fair campaign rules and accountability for violations.
The opposition leaders rejected violence and retaliation, pledged to cooperate with lawful investigations and urged their supporters to remain peaceful, document incidents and avoid provocation.
They maintained that freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association must be protected ahead of the 2027 elections, insisting that all allegations should be investigated transparently and anyone found culpable held accountable.
