The International Conference Centre, ICC, venue of the 11th National Delegates Conference of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, was thrown into chaos Thursday as certain aggrieved parties seized and destroyed ballot boxes designated for voting in the election of new leaders for the union, the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, is reporting.

According to NAN, the ensuing violence saw many delegates fleeing for safety.

While details of how the peaceful convention was disrupted are still unfolding, it is believed that the delegates had been split and tension created when voting for the President of the Union began.

Three candidates including the General Secretary of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, Joe Ajaero; the National President of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, Igwe Achese; and National President of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria, MHWUN,  Ayuba Wabba, are vying for the post of President, with a view to succeeding Waheed Omar whose tenure has elapsed.

It took the efforts of the police to forestall damage to the facility, as uniformed men intervened, sending out all delegates from the ICC venue of the conference.

NAN reports that the labour leaders are presently reconvening at the NLC headquarters in the Central Business District of Abuja for a meeting which is expected to resolve the impasse.