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The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has condemned an alleged attack on its House of Assembly candidate for Ezza South State Constituency in Ebonyi state, Barrister Rollins Nwali, and members of his campaign team, calling for an independent investigation into the incident and adequate security protection for political candidates.
The party’s Ebonyi Central Senatorial candidate, Professor Benard Ifeanyi Odoh, said Nwali and his team were attacked by armed assailants on Thursday, October 22, 2026, while undertaking political consultations.
In a statement issued on Friday in Abakaliki, Odoh alleged that the attackers ambushed the candidate and his team, setting a Toyota Hilux belonging to the campaign on fire. He said the intervention of operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) reportedly prevented further harm to members of the team.
Odoh also said he had received reports that some of the attackers died during the confrontation, although the circumstances surrounding the reported deaths were not independently established in the statement.
Describing the incident as a threat to political freedom and democratic participation in Ebonyi State, the NDC candidate said political disagreements should not degenerate into violence, intimidation or the destruction of property.
“Political disagreement is not a licence for violence. Electoral competition must never become an excuse for bloodshed, intimidation or the destruction of lives and property,” he said.
Odoh warned against further attacks on NDC candidates, supporters and campaign structures, insisting that the party would pursue justice through lawful means rather than resort to retaliation.
“We will not fold our arms while our candidates and supporters are subjected to violence and intimidation. We will insist on their protection, exercise our constitutional rights and pursue justice without resorting to unlawful retaliation,” he said.
He called on the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of the DSS and other relevant security agencies to conduct an immediate, independent and comprehensive investigation into the incident.
The senatorial candidate further urged investigators to examine any credible evidence of political sponsorship, stressing that anyone found culpable should be identified and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
“The perpetrators and their sponsors, whoever they may be, must be identified and prosecuted in accordance with the law,” he said.
Odoh also demanded adequate security protection for Nwali, his campaign team and other political candidates in Ebonyi State who may be facing credible threats.
He warned that political ambition should not come at the expense of human life, adding that elections must be determined by voters rather than violence or intimidation.
“No political ambition is worth a human life. No elective office is worth the blood of an innocent citizen. And no democracy can survive where violence determines who is permitted to participate,” he said.
Reaffirming the party’s commitment to peaceful political participation and the rule of law, Odoh urged political actors and their supporters to respect democratic principles and allow citizens to exercise their political rights without fear.
“Ebonyi State belongs to all of us. Its political future must be decided by the people through the ballot, never by the bullet,” he said.
The allegations contained in the statement had not been independently verified as of the time of filing this report.
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