Explosion Rocks APC Secretariat In Rivers …APC Members Attacked, PDP Thugs Fingered …Peterside Visits Okrika, Urges Supporters To Be Law-Abidding

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State came under attack in the early hours of yesterday just as three members of the party were inflicted with machete cut injuries as they prepared for a rally in Rumueme, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
The APC Chairman in Okrika Local Government Area, Mr. Christian Asifamaka, who narrated how the ground floor of a three-storey building housing the party’s secretariat was attacked, explained that some unidentified persons had thrown dynamite into the secretariat, which exploded at about 3.14am.
Asifamaka stated that the incident occurred in Abam-Ama community, adding that his office was worse hit as the entire wall was pulled down by the explosion.
“In the early hours of the morning of Sunday, January 11, 2015, some unknown group of persons threw dynamite into the party secretariat of our party, the All Progressives Congress in Abam-Ama, Okrika Local Government Area.
“The explosion, which occurred at 3:14am exactly, destroyed our secretariat, bringing down the walls. The damage was quite extensive with the chairman’s office being the worse hit.
“The All Progressives Congress in Okrika views this latest attack as a deliberate provocation by our opponents, the People’s Democratic Party to draw the APC into a battle that would destabilize our beloved local government area. This is unfortunate and the APC in Okrika would not allow Okrika to become a hotbed of crises as the PDP would wish,” he said.
Asifamaka pointed out that the PDP’s resort to violence was as a result of its knowledge that Okrika people had rejected them because of their inability to attract any meaningful development to the LGA.
“Till now, the East-West Road through which we access our community has been left abandoned by a PDP-led Federal Government while Governor Chibuike Amaechi who is not an Okrika man built a ring road in Okrika and also rebuilt the portion of the Federal Government road that links the LGA to the Port Harcourt Refinery.
“We however wish to warn our brothers in the PDP to remember that the land of Okrika has been known to defend itself and its people against aggression and that any Okrika person who brings crisis to the land answers for it,” he added.
In Rumueme, scores of APC supporters in Ward 10, Rumueme in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, were yesterday attacked by persons suspected to be agents of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
The attack is coming basely two weeks after the former council chairman, Timothy Nsirim-led some thugs to attack party faithful, including the chief of staff and House of Representatives candidate of the party who doubles as leader of the party at the local government.
Three out of four members of the APC, who were reportedly attacked with cutlasses, were rushed to the Kesley Harrison Hospital in Port Harcourt, wher Doctors are battling to save their lives.
Ogbonda Amadi, who was matched on his back said the chapter was in a meeting in preparation for Sunday’s visit of the local government campaign train when they were invaded by PDP thugs who massacred them with matches and bottles inflicting several cuts and injuries on them.
He said the attack was masterminded by a loyalist of the PDP governorship candidate and former council Timothy Nsirim, who vowed not to allow APC members hold their activity at Rumueme.
Some of the party leaders are said to be missing after the attack as search party has been launched to trace their whereabouts.
Reeling his experience, Samson Amadi, whose head was battered said the APC was becoming a prey to PDP who attack them at will.
Amadi is at the moment receiving treatment at a government facility.
The APC leader in Obio/Akpor and House of Representatives candidate, Chief Tony Okocha, explained that a chief from Warri, who had come to Rumueme to be part of the APC rally on Sunday, was said to have been hit several times.
Okocha, who said he personally drove the three injured members of the APC to the hospital, expressed worry over the whereabouts of the chief.
He explained that members of the APC were almost exhausting their patience over the continued attack by PDP members, warning that his party may resort to self-help should the police fail to do the right thing.
However, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has condemned in very strong terms, the multiple bomb explosions that rocked the APC secretariat in Okrika yesterday morning.
The APC candidate, who was accompanied to the scene of the explosion by Hon. Andrew Uchendu, APC senatorial candidate; Hon. Maureen Tamuno, House of Representatives candidate; party leaders in the local government and other APC supporters, expressed shock at this latest attack, which he said, portends danger, if unchecked, for next month’s election.
“It is very sad and unfortunate that some persons in society have decided to chose this path. If you notice, there has been a pattern of violence. On 6th January, when we had our presidential rally at Adokiye Amasiemaka Stadium, you would have noted that some of our party members who were coming from Abonnema, Degema and Asari-Toru were attacked around Sama Junction. The persons who were also coming from Khana and Gokana were also attacked around Saakpenwa Junction.
“Some other groups coming for the same rally were attacked around Elele. And fingers point to the other political party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). We have raised these issues with the commissioner of police and the security agencies but not much action has been seen.”
Peterside, who described the explosions as an ugly resurgence commended members of APC in Okrika for their maturity.
He said he was not surprised that members of his party did not retaliate because APC members fully appreciate the fact that politically instigated violence does no one any good.
The APC candidate however linked the violence to the string of successes so far recorded by his party in the state, calling on PDP to meet the people and campaign, rather than resorting to violence.
In the same vein, Uchendu called for peace. He described the attack as a clear indication that PDP and its candidates have already lost. He enjoined the people to reject violence and the party that promotes it.
Nevertheless, the Rivers State chapter of APC has urged on relevant security agencies in Nigeria to investigate and bring to book those behind the bombing of it secretariat in Okrika Local Government Area.
In a statement yesterday, the party also urged all the security agencies to investigate last week shooting of some of its supporters who were attacked on their way to the flag off of the Presidential rally in the state.
The statement signed by state Publicity Secretary of the party, Chris Finebone, alleged that the emergence of Nyesom Wike as the Peoples Democratic Party Governorship candidate in the state has sparked off violence in the state, urging security agencies not to leave any stone unturned in unravelling the perpetrators of the crime.
Meanwhile, the police in Rivers State yesterday confirmed that the building housing the All Progressives Congress in Okrika Local Government Area was attacked earlier in the day.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Ahmad Muhammad, told newsmen in Port Harcourt yesterday, that the command had received the report of the attack.
“I am aware of the incident at Okrika, but the information at my disposal is sketchy,” Muhammad, a deputy superintendent of police, said.
He said that no arrest had been made.

The damaged secretariat. Insert: APC governorship candidate, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, speaking shortly after inspecting the secretariat, yesterday while Senate candidate, Hon Andrew Uchendu and others watch.