Suspected arsonists attacked the All Progressives Congress (APC) office in Rivers State on Saturday morning, detonating explosives at the party’s secretariat along Aba Road in Port Harcourt.
The blast damaged buildings, shattered windows, and destroyed the gate of the secretariat.
This is not the first time the APC office in Rivers State has been targeted by violence. The attack comes amid a dispute over the conduct of local government elections in the state.
The APC and PDP have been at odds with the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) and state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, regarding the elections. Despite these disagreements, the RSIEC has reiterated its commitment to holding the elections as scheduled on October 5, 2024.
The RSIEC Commissioner for Civil Education/Public Affairs, Tobin Tamunotonye, cited the RSIEC Law of 2018, the judgment of Hon Justice I.P.C. Igwe, and the 1999 Constitution as legal basis for conducting the elections. He stated that the commission has prepared for the elections by transporting non-sensitive materials to polling units and making the updated 2023 voter registers available at all 6366 polling units.
