Tension has gripped Owerri, the Imo State capital, following the alleged marking of an event centre that hosted a town hall meeting by Peter Obi for possible demolition.
The facility, Foret Events Centre, situated along Port Harcourt Road, near Concord Junction, New Owerri, was reportedly marked with red paint, alongside a directive ordering its management to present relevant ownership documents.
The inscription on the building read: “Show your title document and ground rent within 48hrs, by Imo State Government.”
The marking was discovered on Tuesday, barely days after the facility hosted a town hall meeting organised by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Nigerian Newssphere recalls that Obi, the NDC presidential candidate, alongside other political associates, held the meeting at the venue on October 31, 2026.
The event attracted a large gathering of supporters, party chieftains and residents who turned out to participate in the engagement.
During the meeting, Obi criticised President Bola Tinubu, claiming that the Nigerian leader had not spent a single night in Imo State since assuming office.
The development has since generated reactions across social media, with several Nigerians questioning the circumstances surrounding the government’s action and linking it to the opposition party’s meeting at the facility.
Some NDC supporters have described the development as political intimidation and a possible attempt to discourage property owners from providing venues for opposition political activities.
They questioned the timing of the action, arguing that the facility was marked just 10 days after Obi and his political associates used it for their town hall meeting.
Others alleged that the development could serve as a warning to event centre operators across the South-East against making their facilities available to Obi and the NDC.
However, as of the time of filing this report, the Imo State Government had yet to release an official explanation detailing the reasons for the marking.
The government has also not clarified whether the notice represents a preliminary demand for property documents or a formal demolition order against the facility.
Nigerian Newssphere reports that Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma is the Secretary of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign.
