Rivers PDP, APC trade words over alleged plot to attack party secretariat

THE two main political parties in Rivers State, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) resumed hostilities on Thursday as the former accused the latter of plotting to attacks its state secretariat on the Aba Road, Port Harcourt. Rivers PDP chairman, Mr Felix Obuah, in a statement issued by his media aide, Mr Jerry Needam, said he had uncovered a plan by a group of touts to attack PDP state secretariat, allegedly on the orders of the state governor, Honourable Rotimi Amaechi. Reacting, however, the state APC chairman, Dr Davies Ikanya, said PDP was only crying wolf where there was none, adding that the allegation was a ploy to cover up what it intended to do. Obuah had, in the statement, warned on the consequence of an incursion into the premises of the party by alleged hired thugs, stressing that there could be no other reason for protest at the PDP secretariat than to cause crisis and breach of public peace. He called on the state Commissioner of Police and all other law enforcement agencies to take note of the plot, stressing that “Governor Amaechi and APC should be held responsible for any misfortune that is likely to arise from such a protest and or damage on the PDP secretariat or members and staff.” The PDP chairman said the party would not fold its arms and watch its staff and members at the party secretariat to be attacked by hoodlums with ulterior motives, warning anybody “hatching such a plot or sponsored satanic mission to refrain or be ready to bear the consequences of such actions.” His APC counterpart, Ikanya, however, dismissed the allegation as baseless, adding, “the allegation is a ploy by PDP to cover up what it intends to do. Maybe they are now planning to destroy our secretariat. That is their style. “I am aware that they wrote to the Commissioner of Police, alleging that APC has perfected plans to destroy their party secretariat, but it is all falsehood. They are already exposing themselves by that allegation. “The PDP made a similar allegation in the past and actually went ahead to perpetrate evils against the APC. This is exemplified in the tearing and dismantling of the APC flags and structures in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor, after accusing APC of plotting to destroy PDP structures. God help them if they try again to destroy any of our structures. We are waiting for them.”