Tension flared on Friday in Abuja as journalists jostled for accreditation ahead of the convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) holding in the nation’s capital.
The incident occurred at the Kano Hall of Transcorp Hilton Abuja, where over 100 journalists—both accredited and non-accredited—stormed the venue in a bid to secure accreditation tags for coverage of the event.
Trouble reportedly began earlier in the day when the coordinator in charge of accreditation announced that only a limited number of tags were available, noting that most of those allocated to APC correspondents had already been distributed.
The announcement sparked agitation among journalists, many of whom expressed frustration over what they described as poor planning and a lack of transparency in the accreditation process.
Sources said the situation quickly escalated, with heated exchanges and visible tension as journalists pressed for access to the remaining tags.
Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force were subsequently deployed to the scene to restore order and prevent a breakdown of law and order.
The development has continued to generate controversy, with affected journalists urging APC organisers to address the concerns and ensure a more transparent and orderly accreditation process in future engagements.
As of the time of filing this report, officials of the APC had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
