Suspected political thugs disrupted the planned opening of an African Democratic Congress (ADC) secretariat on Saturday in Bakassi Local Government Area.
Reports say the attackers stormed the venue, dispersing party supporters and destroying canopies, loudspeakers, chairs, and other equipment set up for the ceremony.
A video circulating on social media showed a group of youths dismantling the setup while shouting that the ADC would not be allowed to operate in the council area. In the footage, a man believed to be leading the group could be heard instructing others to scatter the materials, claiming the ruling party, APC, had already been busy fixing the council area.
Confirming the incident, the Cross River State Police Command described the attackers as hoodlums and said officers were deployed to restore order.
According to the command’s spokesman, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, the event was about to commence when “the hoodlums from nowhere came and scattered the canopies, chairs and sound systems.”
He added that the situation was brought under control to prevent it from escalating into a full-blown crisis.
“Officers and tactical teams are at the scene. The event could not continue. Given the chaotic situation and the volatile nature of the area, no arrests have been made for now,” ASP Eitokpah stated.
This is not the first disruption to ADC activities in the state. A similar incident occurred on Tuesday in Calabar, prompting the party to raise concerns over what it described as attempts to hijack its structures in Cross Rivers State.
