Peter Obi’s NDC Town Hall Meeting In Enugu Thr£atened As Venue Owner Withdraws Less Than 24 Hours Before Event
Peter Obi’s NDC Town Hall Meeting In Enugu Threatened As Venue Owner Withdraws Less Than 24 Hours Before Event
According to sources, the manager claimed that the owner of the facility was under intense pressure to ensure the event did not hold.
The management of Amadeo Event Centre in Enugu State has allegedly reneged on a fully paid contract to host a town hall meeting for Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), less than 24 hours before the scheduled event.
SaharaReporters gathered on Wednesday that the event centre, located along Ebeano Tunnel Road, had been paid for weeks in advance. However, when NDC leaders arrived at the venue on Wednesday afternoon to ensure the premises were cleaned ahead of Thursday’s meeting, the manager reportedly informed them that the facility could no longer be used.
According to sources, the manager claimed that the owner of the facility was under intense pressure to ensure the event did not hold.
SaharaReporters learnt that the owner of Amadeo Event Centre, Pastor Ugo Chime, allegedly told NDC officials that he was being pressured not to rent out the facility for Obi’s town hall meeting.
Efforts by SaharaReporters to reach Chime for comment were unsuccessful, as he did not answer multiple calls made to his phone.
Meanwhile, NDC officials, including some senatorial candidates, condemned the development in a video clip shared with SaharaReporters, describing it as part of what they see as sustained attempts to frustrate the party and its presidential candidate in the state.
In the video, the NDC’s Enugu East senatorial candidate, Princess Ada Ogbu, said, “They are trying to stop Peter Obi from having our Town Hall meeting. They are actually trying to stop Peter Obi from having a Town Hall meeting in the state but it will be resisted.”
The development has sparked outrage among NDC leaders, who accuse Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah and other All Progressives Congress (APC) governors in the South-East of attempting to frustrate Obi’s activities and campaign in the region.
The NDC governorship candidate in Enugu State, Chief Chinyeaka Ohaa, led other candidates and party leaders to the centre and was attempting to resolve the dispute as of the time of filing this report.
An insider told SaharaReporters that the venue’s management was reminded that withdrawing from the agreement after receiving full payment could constitute a breach of contract and expose it to legal action. The source, however, said the management remained unwilling to reverse its decision.
“One of the managers said openly that even if they breached the contract, the state government owns the court and judges, and they can frustrate any potential legal fallout arising from it,” the source said.
As of the time of filing this report, NDC leaders were still at the event centre, making frantic calls to influential individuals, including church leaders, in an attempt to persuade the management to allow the meeting to proceed.
The incident comes amid a series of reported attacks and disruptions targeting the NDC and its supporters in Enugu State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
On October 10, 2026, SaharaReporters reported that thugs suspected of being hired by the APC attacked NDC supporters at Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu as they welcomed the party’s governorship candidate, Christian Chinyeaka Ohaa.
Shortly after the airport incident, another attack was reportedly launched during the NDC’s campaign flag-off at its GRA office, leaving one person dead. The attack allegedly involved gunfire and tear gas. Police officers were reportedly present, but no arrests had been made as of the time of that report.
The incident followed an earlier gun attack during an NDC ward meeting in Enugu on September 12, 2026, which reportedly left at least eight party supporters injured, with one requiring major surgery.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) had also condemned attacks on opposition political gatherings in the state, alleging that meetings in Nkanu West were invaded, people were shot, and canopies and chairs were destroyed.
The escalating tensions have also drawn the attention of the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (InterSociety), which has threatened to pursue international sanctions, including travel restrictions, against Governor Mbah and five other governors accused of promoting political intolerance and undermining opposition activities.
Obi has repeatedly called on security agencies to investigate the reported political violence in Enugu State and prosecute anyone found culpable. He has maintained that no political ambition can justify the killing of Nigerians and that no governor is above the law.
The threatened cancellation of Thursday’s town hall meeting has raised fresh concerns about the ability of opposition parties to organise political activities without intimidation or disruption.
