The congress of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Enugu was disrupted on Monday after suspected political thugs attacked the venue, forcing a temporary halt to proceedings.

The incident occurred at Aborigene Hall, where party members had gathered for the state congress. Eyewitnesses reported that the disruption began shortly after a motion was raised calling for the dissolution of the party’s protem State Working Committee.

According to sources at the scene, the attackers stormed the venue, pulled down banners, and ordered attendees to vacate the premises. The development created tension among party members, with some alleging that the incident was linked to internal disagreements over control of the party structure.

The disruption comes less than 24 hours after prominent political figures, including former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, were received into the NDC at its national secretariat in Abuja. The event was led by the party’s national leader, Seriake Dickson, alongside other top officials.

A party member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, accused new entrants of attempting to take over the party’s structure. “They joined the NDC just yesterday, and now they want to hijack the entire system,” the source said.

Despite the disturbance, the congress later resumed under tightened security. At the conclusion of the exercise, Dr. Johnpaul Anih, a former aide to ex-Enugu State governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, was announced as the new NDC State Chairman.

Anih previously served as Special Assistant on Youth Affairs and emerged victorious in the rescheduled proceedings of the congress.