An explosion, suspected to be caused by dynamite, rocked the All Progressives Congress (APC) secretariat located along Aba Road in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, early this morning, October 5th, 2024.
The blast destroyed parts of the building, including windows, gates, and other structures, raising tensions amidst the ongoing local government elections.
The Chairman of the faction of the APC in Rivers State, Tony Okocha, spoke to Channels TV, detailing how the incident unfolded.
“At about 3:20 am, some gun-trotting young men with their explosives and all that, came here and dropped the first explosive. Maybe because the one they dropped did not detonate, they came back a second time to burn the structure. Look at the security house, it’s gone. Behind me, you will see there was also an attempt, but our people came, and we were able to quench the fire,” Okocha narrated.
Okocha claimed the attack was politically motivated and pointed fingers at the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
He alleged that the governor had previously declared “war” over the local government elections, which, according to Okocha, led to the attack on their secretariat.
“Is the APC secretariat here any voting unit? There is no voting unit here. So, it was deliberate to see how they can annihilate us, to see how they can embarrass us, and to decimate us,” he stated.
As of the time of reporting, the Rivers State Police Command is yet to release an official statement on the explosion.
Meanwhile, accreditation and voting are underway in various polling centres across Port Harcourt City, despite ongoing controversies surrounding the local government poll.
The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) had announced that the elections would proceed as scheduled, despite concerns about security. The state police had previously announced they would not provide security for the exercise, citing a court order.
In a statement, RSIEC’s Commissioner for Civil Education/Public Affairs, Tobin Tamunotonye, reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to holding the elections. Citing the RSIEC Law of 2018, a ruling from Justice I.P.C.
Igwe of the Rivers State High Court delivered on September 4th, 2024, and the 1999 Constitution, Tamunotonye stated that the agency had full authority to conduct the local government polls.
“As we’ve emphasized before, the 5th October 2024 Local Government Council Elections in Rivers State will hold as scheduled, and there is no going back,” the statement declared.
Get a premium automobile insurance coverage for your vehicle for as low as #15000 only and claim up to #3,000,000 in damages @Zenith Insurance To signup: WhatsApp/Call: +2349028313757
