THE secretariat of the Action People’s Party (APP) in Rivers State was hit by an explosion on Monday, August 12.
The explosion at the party office located along the GRA axis of the state came amid the political crisis in the state.
There is a suspicion that political thugs are responsible for the incident which occurred in the early hours of the day.
The attackers reportedly threw what appeared to be dynamite into the secretariat building, breaking windows and doors and damaging other valuable assets.
A Daily Trust report indicates that the building’s ceiling and fittings were also wrecked by the explosion.
The perpetrators have not been identified at the time of filing this report.
The incident occurred amid rumours that the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara was planning to take his supporters to the APP after his estranged political godfather – the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike – is bent on taking over the structure of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
A party official who reportedly refused to disclose his identity said the incident was politically motivated.
Meanwhile, attempts to speak to the state police command spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko were unsuccessful as she neither picked up calls nor responded to messages sent to her line.
Wike and Fubara have been at loggerheads over who controls the state’s PDP structure and other issues.
Though a PDP member, Wike currently serves in the APC government as a minister.
Following the hostility between the two leaders, 26 members of the River State House of Assembly members decamped from the PDP to APC in 2023, shortly after assuming office.
The feud had degenerated into nearly physical combat between their loyalists, and the possible chaos was so palpable in the state that President Tinubu had to intervene twice before tempers were calmed.
However, the camps of both leaders have continued to threaten a showdown a few months after the leaders were together in the same political space.
In October 2023, Fire engulfed the State House of Assembly complex.
It was subsequently quenched by the Fire Service and security agents who prevented it from consuming the entire complex.
The crises follow reports of an impending impeachment of the Fubara by the House.
A reporter with the ICIR
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