No fewer than 10 members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) are receiving treatment in various hospitals in Ebonyi State after they were allegedly attacked by suspected political thugs during a rally at Ikwuator Idembia in Ezza South Local Government Area.

The incident occurred on Saturday during a reception organised for Ifeanyi Nworie, a former member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who recently defected to the PDP.

According to eyewitnesses, the event was initially scheduled to hold at a village square in the community. However, suspected thugs, reportedly wearing T-shirts bearing the image of a federal lawmaker, stormed the venue and disrupted the gathering, forcing the organisers to relocate the event to Nworie’s private residence.

The attackers allegedly traced the supporters to the residence, where they assaulted participants, leaving at least 10 persons with varying degrees of injuries. Several plastic chairs, canopies, a public address system and other valuables were also destroyed during the attack.

Addressing journalists in Abakaliki after the incident, Chukwuma Igwe, the Ebonyi State Chairman of the PDP, condemned the attack, describing it as a direct assault on democracy and an attempt to intimidate opposition members ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Igwe alleged that the attack was part of a series of threats and intimidation targeted at PDP members in recent weeks. He said vehicles were vandalised and several party supporters were attacked with dangerous weapons during the incident.

“We have called this press conference to draw the attention of Nigerians to what we consider a deliberate attempt to undermine democracy and frustrate the conduct of the 2027 general elections in Ebonyi State,” he said.

The PDP chairman called on the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Armed Forces and other security agencies to ensure adequate protection for all political parties and guarantee a level playing field across the state.

He also urged party members to remain peaceful and law-abiding despite what he described as repeated provocations, while calling on the Ebonyi State Government to uphold democratic principles.

Reacting to the allegations, Stanley Okoro Emegha, the Ebonyi State Chairman of the APC, denied any involvement by his party, insisting that the APC remains committed to peaceful politics.

He said Governor Francis Nwifuru had consistently preached non-violence and would not tolerate any member engaging in political thuggery.

“So far as the APC in Ebonyi State is concerned, we follow the body language of our governor. He does not support violence, and anyone involved in such acts cannot expect his support,” Emegha said.

He suggested that individuals displeased with Nworie’s decision to defect from the APC might have been responsible for the attack, rather than members of the ruling party.

Also, about 10 journalists travelling to cover the PDP rally narrowly escaped attack by the same suspected thugs.

The journalists, who were attending the event on the invitation of Nworie, were travelling in an official vehicle belonging to the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) when they were allegedly ambushed.

According to the journalists, the attackers, allegedly led by one Friday Agbom, an APC chieftain and legal practitioner, repeatedly struck the vehicle and allegedly attempted to set it ablaze before the driver managed to escape.

The journalists further alleged that Agbom described them as “political journalists” and warned them never to return to the community.

As of the time of filing this report, there was no official statement from the Ebonyi State Police Command on the incident or the alleged attack on journalists.