by James Sambo

The National Campaign Office of the Peoples Democratic Party, Maitama, Abuja, Thursday literately turned to a boxing ring when some political thugs suspected to be working for the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, engaged in fisticuffs with his suspected opponents.

It was gathered that the thugs, who were many in their numbers, used dangerous weapons, such as stick, bottles and stones to chase away members of the party from the state from gaining entrance into the building, where members of the National Integration Committee, South-South zone, were meeting.

Punch reports that only Wike and his supporters were allowed to enter the venue of the meeting, while his opponents who came to present petitions to the Senator Iya Abubakar-led committee; were beaten up by the thugs.

Those beaten included a legal practitioner, Mr. Tabotamuno Dick; a former Commissioner for Water Resources under former Governor Peter Odili, Mr. Lolo Ibieneye; Prof. Israel Owate, Dr. Sowaribi Tolofari, Mr. Sara Egbe and Chief Bekinbo Sobrekon.

Some journalists were also harassed while others had either their cameras damaged or their tape recorders taken off.

It was gathered that during the ‘battle’, policemen attached to the venue of the meeting were helpless because of the personalities involved in the shameful act.

However, the policemen joined the thugs to chase away rival politicians who were said not to be members of Wike’s Grassroots Democratic Initiatives.

Addressing journalists after the incident, a visibly angry Dick, said, “I came to defend the petition we sent to the committee, but see what happened here today.

“I have been beaten by thugs and these thugs were joined by the policemen attached to someone who wants to be a governor of my state. We shall wait to see.”

Addressing newsmen after the meeting-cum-fight, PDP Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh insisted that there was no crisis in the party.

“There is peace in the party in the state,” he said in a brief interview after the meeting.

While addressing them, Metuh assured them that the party leadership would not impose candidates on the people during elections