POLITICAL VIOLENCE IN ENUGU: PROTECTING DEMOCRACY, PEACE AND THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE

Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji Visits Victims, Condemns Violence and Calls for the Protection of Democratic Participation

The reported armed attack that disrupted a ward meeting at Ndiuno-Obuoffia, Obuoffia Awkunanaw, in Nkanu West Local Government Area of Enugu State, on Saturday, September 12, 2026, has raised serious concerns about the safety of political participation and the growing tension surrounding grassroots political activities in the state.

According to the Enugu State Police Command, armed hoodlums allegedly stormed an NDC ward meeting at Ndiuno-Obuoffia and opened sporadic gunfire, leaving two attendees injured. The Police Commissioner, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, subsequently ordered a thorough investigation into the incident and directed the relevant authorities to identify and bring those responsible to justice.

While allegations have emerged from different quarters regarding the identity and political affiliation of those responsible, the police have not publicly established the attackers’ political affiliation. It is therefore important that the investigation be allowed to determine the facts and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.

NNAJI VISITS THE VICTIMS

In the aftermath of the incident, the 2027 Enugu State PDP governorship candidate, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, visited some of the victims receiving medical attention.

During the visit, he went around the hospital to sympathise with the injured persons, listen to their experiences and identify with their pain and that of their families.

Medical personnel attending to the victims reportedly explained the different stages of treatment required, including urgent surgical intervention where medically necessary.

The sight of people receiving treatment for injuries allegedly sustained during a political gathering is a sobering reminder that political disagreements must never be allowed to degenerate into violence.

POLITICS MUST NOT BECOME A BATTLEFIELD

Speaking during the visit, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji condemned the incident, describing it as an unacceptable escalation of political rivalry.

He maintained that political parties must be allowed to organise, mobilise and hold lawful meetings without fear of intimidation or violence.

For Nnaji, the strength of democracy lies not in the ability to silence political opponents, but in the freedom of citizens to make their choices peacefully at the ballot box.

He stressed that opposition political parties must be allowed to operate freely in Enugu State, regardless of political differences, adding that the people of Enugu deserve an environment where political participation is protected rather than threatened.

A CALL FOR PEACE AND ACCOUNTABILITY

The events of September 12 should serve as a warning to all political actors that violence has no place in democratic competition.

No ambition, political disagreement or electoral contest is worth the life of a single citizen.

Political parties and their supporters must reject the use of thugs, intimidation and violence, while security agencies must thoroughly investigate every credible allegation and ensure that perpetrators are brought before the law.

The people of Enugu should be able to attend ward meetings, express their political opinions and support candidates of their choice without fear.

As the 2027 elections draw closer, the responsibility lies with political leaders, security agencies, community leaders and citizens alike to protect the peace.

Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji's message during the hospital visit was clear: Enugu must not become a theatre of political violence. The democratic rights of every citizen must be respected, and political differences must be settled through dialogue, lawful processes and the ballot box.

The people of Enugu deserve politics without bloodshed, campaigns without intimidation and elections where every citizen can freely exercise the right to choose.

Enugu belongs to all of us. Its future must be decided by the people—not by violence.