There was tension at the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary election in Ebonyi State on Monday as the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ebonyi State Council, Comrade Samson Nwafor, and other journalists were allegedly attacked by suspected political thugs linked to Senator Kenneth Chukwuemeka Eze.
The incident occurred at the APC primary collation centre in Onueke, Ezza South Local Government Area, shortly after Senator Eze was declared winner of the party’s Ebonyi Central senatorial ticket by the chairman of the electoral committee, Senator Anthony Agbo.
It was gathered that trouble started when journalists covering the exercise approached the senator for comments following his victory.
However, instead of responding to questions, Senator Eze allegedly became agitated and accused some journalists of publishing reports unfavourable to his political activities and re-election bid.
A witnesse said efforts by the NUJ Chairman, Comrade Nwafor, to calm the situation failed, as the senator allegedly ignored repeated attempts to mediate.
The situation later escalated when some individuals identified as aides and loyalists of the senator, including one Kizito Nwankwo, allegedly moved to physically attack journalists and members of the NUJ leadership.
The development caused panic at the venue, forcing journalists and other observers to flee for safety.
Some reporters also alleged that supporters of the senator took photographs and videos of journalists while issuing threats, especially against the NUJ chairman.
The incident has sparked concern among media stakeholders and civil society groups in Ebonyi, particularly as Senator Eze chairs the Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation.
Observers described the development as disturbing and warned that such attacks could threaten press freedom and democratic accountability ahead of the 2027 general elections.
As of the time of filing this report, Senator Eze and his media team had yet to issue any official statement on the allegations.
