The state congress of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) in Abia ended in fiasco on Wednesday as thugs invaded the party secretariat beating members of the party..
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt that PPA in Abia has two factions – one loyal to former Gov. Orji Kalu and headed by Chief Oliver Ezeobiezu, the party’s publicity secretary and the other led by Emeka Onuoha.
The Ezeobiezu-led group had earlier invited journalists to cover the event scheduled for 11a.m., but on arrival at the party office, the journalists sighted hefty-looking men and armed policemen in the compound.
The thugs, who were more than 50 in number, were seen pushing people out of the office.
The police team in a black Hilux drove out when the molestation started.
A woman, who gave her name as Monica, told NAN that they were surprised to see hefty men ordering them out of the party office for no reason.
“What we faced inside our party office was very terrible my brother. The men were pushing everybody out and we do not understand why people do not want to allow PPA members rest in Abia.’’
The woman claimed the Onuoha-led group was taking instruction from Mr Chris Akomas, the party’s standard bearer in the April 2011 governorship election to destroy PPA.
Mr Friday Akataobi, a former Commissioner for Science and Technology in the state, was seen being dragged on his brown lace cloth inside a blue-painted bus by one of the thugs.??
The thugs were also seen throwing party furniture from the first floor of the two- storey building housing the party.
Journalists invited for the event scampered for safety, while those that came in their cars hurriedly moved them to the Ministry of Science and Technology premises next to the party office.
Mr Emeka Okafor, the bureau chief of Nigerian Compass, Umuahia, described the incident as `horrific’, and advised his colleagues to move away from the place in their own interest.
Attempts by NAN to speak with the leaders of the two factions failed, as Ezeobiezu told NAN on phone that he was at the police station on the invitation of the Commissioner of Police, while Onuoha’s phone was switch off. (NAN)