Gunmen launched a brazen attack on the Rivers State secretariat of the Action Peoples Party (APP) late Wednesday, leaving a security guard wounded and raising fresh concerns over the rising wave of political violence in the state. The incident marks the second assault on the APP’s Port Harcourt office in just a few weeks.
Sunny Wokekoro, APP’s Rivers State Chairman, confirmed the attack to journalists, describing it as part of a disturbing trend of politically motivated violence. The assault follows a dynamite explosion at the same secretariat last month, which shattered windows and doors, leaving significant damage in its wake.
Rumours have circulated that the earlier attack may have been linked to speculation surrounding a potential defection by Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APP. The governor’s strained relationship with his former political mentor, Nyesom Wike, has added fuel to the fire, intensifying political tensions across the state.
Wokekoro, visibly distressed, addressed reporters at the site, calling the situation “ugly” and a reflection of the dangerous direction in which the state’s politics was heading.
“It’s with pain in our hearts that we invited you here to brief you on another unfortunate attack on our party office,” Wokekoro lamented. “About a month ago, we witnessed a dynamite attack, and now this. One of our guards was shot last night. He is currently in the hospital, receiving treatment.”
The attack occurred in the late hours of Wednesday night, between 11:30 p.m. and midnight. According to Wokekoro, while the Commissioner of Police had been quick to visit the site of the earlier dynamite blast, there has been no progress on the investigation into that attack, leaving many unanswered questions.
“Regrettably, we still await the report from the investigation into the first attack,” Wokekoro said. “Now, we find ourselves dealing with yet another incident. The frequency of such attacks on political offices in Rivers State is alarming.”
Despite the violence, Wokekoro insisted that the APP would not be cowed. He reiterated the party’s resolve to “liberate” Rivers State from what he described as “draconian forces.”
“The more they do this, the more resolved we become,” Wokekoro declared. “We are not afraid. We are determined to free this state from the claws of those who think they can use fear and intimidation to suppress us.”
The attack has left many questioning the security situation in Rivers State, especially given the ongoing political rift between Governor Fubara and former governor Nyesom Wike. Efforts to reach the Rivers State Police Command for comment were unsuccessful, as spokesperson Grace Iringe-Koko did not respond to calls at the time of filing this report.
As the wounded security guard recovers in hospital, questions remain over the perpetrators behind these assaults and the broader implications for political discourse in Rivers State, a region long plagued by political tensions and violence. Wokekoro’s plea for a politics guided by “the fear of God” may be a timely reminder, but the situation on the ground suggests that much more needs to be done to curb the rising tide of unrest.
