……Police dispels attack
A twin explosion has rocked the rally of the All Progressives Congress at Rumuwoji Playground in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
According to available information, no fewer than three persons were injured when the explosion went off on Thursday.
Two women were said to be among those injured.
The Publicity Secretary of the party in the state, Darlington Nwauju, confirmed the incident.
Nwauju described it as “unfortunate”.
However, Police in Rivers State have dispelled the reports that a twin explosion rocked the political campaign rally of APC in Rivers State attended by its governorship candidate, Tonye Cole, and others.
The spokesperson of the police in the state, Grace Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, in Port Harcourt, said there was no explosion at the venue of the rally, adding that the party fared peacefully.
Iringe-Koko explained that fracas had ensued around the venue of the rally by that it was between members of the community that owned the playground rented by the APC for the campaign.
In the meantime, the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the bomb attack on an All Progressives Congress campaign in Rivers State saying there should be no place for violence and anti-democratic manifestations in this election.
Atiku said this in a series of tweets on his verified Twitter handle @atiku, on Thursday.
The PDP candidate said, “We’ve already committed to that in the peace pact we all signed up to.
“Elections are not a do-or-die affair but an opportunity to reinforce our belief in democracy through our leadership choices via adult suffrage.
“We had complained about the violence that had been visited on our party in some states because we did not want it to become a pattern if those engaged in anti-democratic activities were not brought to book.
“Our worst fears have now manifested with the explosion at the APC rally in Port Harcourt. It stands condemned.
“Elections and the choices we make should be about the BALLOT and not the BULLET.
“On behalf of my team, I stand in solidarity with the APC and the families of the injured. I wish the injured a quick recovery.
“Once again, I call on security agencies to ensure that those behind this dastardly act, including their promoters, are brought to justice to serve as a deterrent to copycats who may be emboldened to thread this same anti-democratic path.”
