Explosion rocks Rivers APP secretariat
…as court sacks Wike’s ally as factional Rivers APC chairman
From Chris Eze, Port Harcourt
The tension which has engulfed the political landscape of Rivers State in recent time deepened on Monday as unknown persons threw dynamite into the secretariat of the Action People’s Party (APP) located in the GRA area of Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Our correspondent gathered that the attack reportedly took place around 1:00 a.m. when most people would have been deeply asleep causing extensive damage in the building.
There are rumors in the political circle in the state of a possible defection of Gov. Fubara from the PDP to the APP as the Governor and his predecessor, the FCT minister, Chief Nyesom Wike are locked in a supremacy battle for the soul of the state chapter of PDP.
Sources say the attack on the party secretariat could be one of the antics of the Governor’s detractors to weaken the party ahead of his rumored defection to the party.
A party official, who pleaded anonymity, described the attack as politically motivated, attributing it to the APP’s rapid growth in the state. He called on the police to investigate and apprehend those responsible.
As at the time of filing this report, State Commissioner of police, Olatunji Disu had visited the scene and advised residents of the state to be security conscious while police launch investigation into the attack.
Meanwhile, a High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has restrained Tony Okocha and other members of the caretaker committee of the APC, appointed by the party’s National Working Committee, from parading themselves as the committee’s chairman and members in Rivers State.
The Court presided over by Justice Sika Aprioku also restrained the affected persons from taking any action or interfering in the affairs of the APC State Executive led by Emeka Beke until the expiration of their four-year tenure.
The judge held that the appointment of Tony Okocha and six others as State APC Chairman and Caretaker Committee members is in disobedience of the party constitution.
He said there was no situation in the party to warrant the dissolution of Emeka Bekee led state exco of the party and awarded a N300,000 cost against the defendants.
