In a shocking incident early Saturday morning, suspected arsonists detonated explosives at the All Progressives Congress (APC) office in Rivers State. The blast occurred at the party’s secretariat located along Aba Road in Port Harcourt, causing significant damage to buildings and property.
The explosion resulted in the destruction of the secretariat’s gate, as well as damage to doors, windows, and other assets within the premises. This incident is not unprecedented, as the APC secretariat has faced similar attacks in the past.
As of now, the APC has not issued an official statement regarding the incident. This attack coincides with ongoing disputes related to the local government elections in the state, which have seen tensions between the APC and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), as well as disagreements with the electoral commission and Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Despite these tensions, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) affirmed its commitment to proceed with the local government elections as scheduled. On Friday, the RSIEC reiterated that the elections set for October 5, 2024, would take place without delay.
In a statement from its Commissioner for Civil Education/Public Affairs, Tobin Tamunotonye, the RSIEC emphasized, “For the avoidance of doubt, we emphasize unequivocally that the Local Government Council Elections in Rivers State will hold as scheduled, and there is no going back.”
Citing the RSIEC LAW of 2018, a recent court judgment, and the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, he underscored the agency’s authority to conduct these elections. He also mentioned that non-sensitive materials have been delivered to over 6,300 polling units, with updated voter registers accessible at all locations.
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