Journalists, Others Scamper for Safety as Gunmen Attack Ebonyi PDP Secretariat

Benjamin Nworie in Abakaliki

There pandemonium was at the Ebonyi state Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) as unidentified persons shot sporadically  when the  party faithful were waiting for the three- man delegate election of the party.

The first gun shots were heard at the expressway where the party Secretariat is located. The gunshots caused panic and  people started helter-skelter inside the party office including journalists and supporters who had thronged the venue waiting for PDP officials to conduct the delegate elections.

Some policemen who were inside the party office rushed out to the expressway but couldn’t arrest the gunmen due to lack of operational vehicles.

PDP faithful had assembled at the party Secretariat located along the express road awaiting the arrival of materials for distribution before the heavy shooting started.

Journalist, who were also at the party Secretariat to monitor the distribution of the materials were also trapped inside the party Secretariat.

It took the quick intervention of security operatives who accompanied some political office holders to the party office to repel the attackers.

It was not yet certain the motive and intent of the gunmen though no casualty was recorded.

The South East zonal Youth Leader, Hon. Chidiebere Egwu, said it was a minor issue which had been sorted it.

He said: “There is no cause for alarm. The situation been controlled. There is no need for panic.”

However, the party office was deserted after normalcy returned.

Meanwhile, the  three-man delegate congress as at 4pm was yet to commence following the delay in the arrival of the materials.

Some of the party chieftains, who were at the party office also alleged that some persons hijacked the materials and called for full investigation into the delay in the arrival of the materials.