Armed hoodlums on Saturday violently disrupted a joint Labour Party (LP) and African Democratic Congress (ADC) gathering in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the event was organised to formally welcome members of the Labour Party who had defected to the ADC in Alimosho.
Reports indicated that more than 100 hoodlums invaded the initial venue of the programme, which was the LP secretariat in Idimu, forcing party members and officials to flee in different directions to avoid harm.
Witnesses said the attackers were armed with weapons such as knives and canes and assaulted anyone within reach during the chaos, leaving several party members injured.
Despite the disruption, leaders of both parties quickly relocated the event to an alternative venue at the Eco Centre Event, Egbeda.
Speaking on the incident, the Labour Party Chairman in Alimosho, Mr. Olanrewaju Olushola, condemned the attack, describing it as unjustified and alarming.
He expressed concern that such violence could hinder Nigerians from freely expressing their political choices ahead of the 2027 General Elections.
“What is most disturbing is that many of our members were injured. The hoodlums even invaded our party secretariat, destroyed our furniture and vandalised party flags,” Olushola said.
He clarified that the defection had already taken place collectively, stressing that the purpose of Saturday’s gathering was merely to publicly announce the movement of LP members to the ADC.
Olushola added that nearly all LP members in Alimosho, including the party leadership, had agreed to join the ADC.
Also speaking, the party’s secretary in Alimosho, Mr. Moses Akujuobi, disclosed that the police had earlier halted plans for the ceremony, citing lack of official approval.
He explained that they reached out to the Area M Commander, ACP Abaniwonda, who reportedly informed them that only the Commissioner of Police could authorise political events in the state.
Akujuobi said attempts to reach the police commissioner were unsuccessful, but they later informed the Department of State Services (DSS) before proceeding, as the gathering was intended to be a low-key ceremony rather than a rally.
He added that upon arriving at the venue, they were met by police vans and heavily armed officers who insisted the event could not hold.
Amid discussions with security officials, the hoodlums arrived and began assaulting attendees, forcing them to abandon the venue.
He said party members were later contacted by phone to regroup at the Eco Event Centre, but the attackers also traced the second location and carried out another assault on members.
