• As one dead gunshot in the Edo PDP campaign
An improvised material, suspected to be dynamite, exploded at a rally organized by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State.
This is where the Edo Central Senatorial campaign of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) turned violent and one person was reported dead while another sustained injuries.
In the Rivers incident, supporters of the party, led by the former Minister of Transport, Chibuike Amaechi, were injured.
The victims, mostly women and youths, were evacuated to an undisclosed hospital for treatment.
The Guardian gathered that the problem started when there was a disagreement between youths of the Rumuji community, the owner of the Igboukwu field, and APC officials over access to the field.
The youths said they prevented the party from holding a rally at the grounds located near the popular Mile One Market in Port Harcourt City Council.
An eyewitness, Mrs. Ijeoma Amadi, said: “We were in a shop near Mile One Market when we heard an explosion at the venue of the rally. When we moved to see what was happening, the sound got louder and we saw some people injured, blood squirt out.
“Party officials had been arguing with community youth over access to the rally location before the explosion took place.”
When The Guardian visited the scene, people were seen discussing in groups.
Rivers State Publicity Secretary APC, Darlington Nwauju, confirmed the incident, describing it as “a black day in Rivers.”
He said: “This is another black day in the history of democracy, where all underhand strategies are being used to disrupt opposition political parties in Rivers State.
He claimed the party had received intelligence about plans to attack the main opposition politicians in the country.
When contacted, the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Chris Finebone, said he was yet to get details on the incident, stating that he was meeting with Governor Nyesom Wike, on some important issues in the state and promised to get back to journalists after. meeting.
The Public Relations Officer of the Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe Koko, promised to get back to reporters on the incident.
ABOUT the Edo incident, it was gathered that it happened in Ward 7 in Ewu community in Esan Central Council.
The campaign director for the council, Anselm Ojezua, in a statement made available to newsmen in Benin City, said the clash has been reported to the police for investigation.
Ojezua confirmed that one person was killed while another sustained injuries.
He added that due to the incident, the party has decided to suspend all political campaign rallies until the police make investigations and findings.
He said: “Today’s campaign meeting had a sad incident because it was gathered that during the rally in Ward 7, gunshots were heard some distance from the meeting place.
“Disturbed by the firing, the PDP leader who presided over the rally, decided to lead the members and supporters to a safe location.
“PDP is a peaceful political party, which understands the place of the rule of law in a constitutional democracy, has reported this sad and unpleasant incident to the police for a thorough investigation.”
He told party supporters that campaign rallies would resume.