Plateau State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Pastor Abraham Yiljap (left), with the General Manager, Nigeria Standard Newspaper, Mr Jonathan Ishaku, during the inspection of the media house and the State printing press in Jos, yesterday.

The Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), in Rivers State led by Chief Godspower Umejuru Ake has said that the torching of court records at the State High Court at Okehi, Etche Local Government by suspected arsonists, will not hinder the expected ruling on January 15 by the Appeal Court in Abuja on the disputed leadership of the PDP in Rivers State.

The party asserted that except the arsonists would also burn the Appeal Court records, the fate of Messrs Felix Obuah and Ibibia Walter who parade themselves as Chairman and Secretary of PDP, respectively, in stolen mandate, would be decided.

In a statement yesterday, signed by the Rivers State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, George Ukwuoma-Nwogba, in Port Harcourt, the Ake-faction of the PDP described as unfortunate the resort to destruction of judicial evidence by those it said were jittery at the reality of the tide of proofs against their falsehood and forgery.

“Afraid justice would soon slap them in the face over their treacherous, deceitful and false claims to the offices of the Chairman and Secretary of the PDP in Rivers State, Obuah and his cohort, with age-long penchant to violence, lies and brigandage, resorted to their latest option just to hold on to power no matter how illegitimate. We would prefer they allowed the Appeal Court decide their fate rather than engage in self-help of this magnitude, obviously couched in shame and opprobrium,” the statement added.

The Ake faction, however, said its members were not surprised that Obuah and his followers would descend so low in their search to evade justice, questioning the basis for their fear when after all, they had claimed the party delegates had elected them into the respective offices they stole by deceiving an Abuja High Court. “We wonder at their fear when they had claimed in the High Court that they were duly elected Chairman and Secretary by party delegates to the State Congress held on March 17, 2013,” the PDP queried, adding that lies may endure for a day, but truth lives forever.

While urging the party faithful to continue in prayer for the total restoration of the mandate freely given to Chief Ake and Barr. Adokiye Oruwari as Rivers State PDP chairman and Secretary, respectively, by the party delegates on March 17, 2012, the statement further called for vigilance on their part “as enemies of democracy may not rest from their desperado mission.”

“We call on party faithful to remain vigilant and prayerful as enemies of democracy and Rivers State may not rest in their desperado mission. But we trust in the power of the living God to give us the victory,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the bombing of Ahoada and Okehi Hight Courts in Rivers State.

The party in a statement yesterday accused members of the Felix Obuah-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)in Rivers State for allegedly being responsible for the bombings, as they urged the police to carry out thorough investigations into the two bombings.

The statement signed by the Media Assistant to the state Chairman of the APC,Chief Chukwuemeka Eze said the extension of violence to the judiciary in Rivers State by the PDP and their agents began assuming a dangerous dimension after Justice Wali of the Ahoada High Court granted an injunction on December 16, restraining the member representing Ogu/Bolo in the Rivers State House of Assembly (RSHA), Hon. Evans Bipi from parading himself as the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

“A few hours later, the court building was bombed by suspected PDP members/agents”,he said.

According to the statement,”On the night of Sunday, January 5, elements suspected to be members of the PDP bombed an Ahoada High Court building. Less than a week earlier, the PDP had widely circulated a press release signed by the PDP Chairman, Mr. Felix Obuah, claiming that the governor of Rivers State was trying to use the same Ahoada High Court to protect the Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Chidi Lloyd – a claim that is vexatious, malicious and patent falsehood”.

“As this press release by the PDP is being published, the Ahoada High Court complex is cordoned off by the police because of two objects confirmed by the police to be bombs planted in the premises.

The truth is that these bombs have been planted by the PDP, Evans Bipi and their agents to prevent the sitting of the Ahoada High Court for the hearing of arguments on interlocutory injunction barring Evans Bipi from perpetually parading himself as Speaker of the state Assembly.

The statement added that rather than file his papers and argue his position in court, Evans Bipi and his PDP cohorts resorted to intimidate and prevent the court from sitting through planting of bombs at the court premises.

Eze in the statement narrated that, few days ago, six individuals reportedly linked to two PDP chieftains were arrested on their way to Ogu/Bolo with seven AK-47 assault weapons by men of the JTF.

This he said, had confirmed the party’s worst fears that the PDP had resorted to the use of terrorism as official party policy.

“We have every reason to strongly believe that the arrested armed men are part of the ruthless snipers PDP is alleged to have trained for use against political opponents”, he noted

The party, however, expressed surprise that despite all these acts of violence against the judiciary by suspected members of the GDI and PDP, the Rivers State Police Command and other security agencies in the state were yet to make arrests.

The party appealed to the relevant authorities to intervene and compel responsible security agencies to undertake their constitutional responsibilities of securing lives and properties of citizens and residents of Rivers State by promptly arresting, investigating and prosecuting all those involved in the current spate of violence across Rivers State.

Similarly, the Council of Orashi Ethnic Nationality (COEN) has condemned in strong terms, yesterday’s orchestrated explosion in the Ahoada High Court, warning that it will resist any attempt by desperate politicians to make the area prone to violence.

The Council Director, Media and Publicity, Ndu Nwobosi who disclosed this while reacting to news of the explosion, also called for the sack of Media Adviser to Rivers State PDP  Publicity Secretary, Jerry Needam,  over what he described as incompetency.

He noted that Needam had demonstrated inconceivable penchant for trivializing serious issues and playing on public sensitivity with a view to creating chaos in the name of politics.

“Jerry Needam does not have what it takes, to determine what constitutes credibility and integrity. He believes in distorting the truth; the earlier he leaves, the better the chances of PDP if at all the people will allow that”.

Nwobosi decried a situation where a once peaceful state and investors haven was now turning into a den of militancy because of the desires of Oga and Madam at the top.

“Must everybody run away or die because somebody is seeking re-election in 2015? If we are killed who will vote, maybe there are plans to rig; all we see today is arm twisting, explosion, intimidation and cheap blackmail instead of development” he declared.

While reiterating his support for fairness and justice in the determination of the legal tussle over the Speakership of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Nwobosi advised the people of Orashi not to submit to plans by fiendish politicians, who were out, to line their pockets at the expense of development.

He hailed the Ogoni people on the successful staging of the 21st Ogoni day celebration describing it as the best in recent time. “The large crowd at the event shows that the Ogonis are willing to speak with one voice on issues that concern them; this spirit must be encouraged by all Rivers people no matter the ethnic group or party affiliation”.