An explosion occurred early Saturday morning at the All Progressives Congress (APC) secretariat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, causing significant damage. The blast, attributed to suspected arsonists, destroyed the gate of the office and shattered doors, windows, and other property.
The explosion took place along Aba Road and has drawn attention due to previous similar incidents at the APC secretariat. The party has not yet released an official statement regarding the incident.
This incident comes amid tensions surrounding local government elections in the state. The APC has been in conflict with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the state electoral commission, and Governor Siminalayi Fubara over the elections. Despite these disputes, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) has confirmed that the local government elections will proceed as scheduled today, October 5, 2024.
In a statement, RSIEC emphasized that there will be no postponement of the elections, citing the law of 2018 and a recent court ruling that affirms their authority to conduct the elections. RSIEC Commissioner for Civil Education and Public Affairs, Tobin Tamunotonye, stated that non-sensitive materials have already been delivered to over 6,300 polling units across the state, and the updated voter registers are available for all polling units.
As the local government elections begin, the explosion at the APC secretariat highlights the ongoing tensions in Rivers State’s political landscape. Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely.
