Tension erupted at the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary election in Ebonyi State on Monday following an alleged confrontation involving the Senator representing Ebonyi Central Senatorial District, Kenneth Chukwuemeka Eze, and suspected political thugs who attacked journalists and members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
The incident occurred at the APC primary election collation venue in Onueke, headquarters of Ezza South Local Government Area, shortly after Senator Eze was declared the party’s winner for the primary election by the chairman of the electoral committee for the zone, Senator Anthony Agbo.
Our correspondent, who monitored the exercise, reports that tension escalated when journalists covering the primary approached the senator for comments shortly after the announcement of the result.
Rather than responding to questions from the media, Senator Eze allegedly accused some journalists of misrepresenting him in previous reports and became visibly agitated during the interaction.
Eyewitnesses at the venue said efforts by the Chairman of the Ebonyi State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Samson Nwafor, to calm the situation and de-escalate tensions proved unsuccessful, as the senator allegedly rebuffed repeated attempts at mediation.
The situation reportedly deteriorated when some individuals identified as aides and loyalists of the senator, including one Kizito Nwankwo, allegedly moved to physically confront journalists and members of the NUJ leadership especially the NUJ State boss.
The development triggered panic among journalists and political observers at the venue, forcing several media practitioners to flee the premises over fears of possible attack.
Some journalists further alleged that certain individuals believed to be supporters of the senator were seen taking photographs and video recordings of reporters at the scene while issuing threats against members of the press, especially the NUJ Chairman.
The incident has since generated concern within media circles in Ebonyi State, particularly given Senator Eze’s position as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation.
Observers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the development as disturbing and inconsistent with democratic principles, particularly constitutional guarantees of press freedom and freedom of expression.
They noted that the confrontation has heightened concerns over relations between political office holders and the media in the state ahead of the 2027 general elections.
It was further gathered that the senator had, on previous occasions, declined media interactions during political activities linked to his re-election bid, including events surrounding the endorsement of his candidacy by stakeholders and the purchase of his expression of interest and nomination forms.
As of the time of filing this report, neither Senator Eze nor his media team had issued an official statement regarding the allegations surrounding the incident.
