The All Progressives Congress has condemned the Peoples Democratic Party over the explosion that occured in the Rivers High Court on Sunday night.
The APC said the party had resorted to using terrorism as its official party policy. It made the remark in an online statement issued by the Interim Publicity Secretary of the Rivers chapter, Chief Andy Nweye.
The statement reads, “We totally condemn the present resort to physical violence against the judiciary and officials of court in Rivers State by members of the PDP.
“The extension of violence to the judiciary in Rivers State by the PDP and their agents started to assume a dangerous dimension, after Justice Wali of the Ahoada High Court granted an injunction on December 16, restraining the member representing Ogu/Bolo in the Rivers State House of Assembly, Evans Bipi, from parading himself as the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“A few hours later, the court building was bombed by suspected PDP members/agents. In the night of Sunday, January 5, elements suspected to be members of the PDP bombed an Ahoada High Court building.
”Less than a week earlier, the PDP had widely circulated a press statement, signed by the PDP Chairman, Mr. Felix Obuah, claiming that the Governor of Rivers State was trying to use the same Ahoada High Court to protect the Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Chief Chidi Lloyd, a claim that is vexatious, malicious and patent falsehood.
“The Ahoada High Court complex has been cordoned off by the police, because of two objects confirmed by the police to be bombs, planted on the premises. These bombs have been planted by the PDP and its agents, to prevent the sitting of the Ahoada High Court, for the hearing of arguments on interlocutory injunction barring Evans Bipi from perpetually parading himself as Speaker of the State Assembly.”
The statement also referred to allies of Evans Bipi and George Sekibo who were caught by the Joint Task Force in a luxury sports utility vehicle armed to the teeth.
“Just yesterday, six individuals reportedly linked to Hon. Evans Bipi and Senator George Sekibo (the representative of Rivers East Senatorial District, an ally of the wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Dame Patience, who wants to be Rivers Governor in 2015) were arrested on their way to Ogu/Bolo with seven AK-47 assault weapons, among others, by men of the JTF.”
APC said: “Despite the PDP openly announcing the verdict that Justice Adama Iyayi-Laminkanra would give on the Obio/Akpor Local Government Council case, many weeks before the verdict was handed down, the APC did not resort to violence against the person of Justice Laminkanra, her court and any member or institution of the judiciary in Rivers State before, during and after the verdict was given.
“We are deeply surprised that despite the obvious perpetration of these dastardly acts of violence against the judiciary by suspected members of the PDP and the GDI (Grassroots Development Initiative, which has as Grand Patron, the Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike), the Rivers State Police Command and other security agencies in the state are yet to make arrest and it appears that they are not in any hurry to investigate this spate of bombings and attacks.”
However the PDP leader in the State, Felix Obuah blamed the Rivers Government saying that the government bombed the court in order to stop the court from vacating the interim order against Evans Bipi.
Obuah said: “The case that temporarily restrained Hon. Evans Bipi from parading himself as the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly was to come up today (yesterday) at the Ahoada high Court.
“Our team of lawyers, made up of over 10 Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) from Abuja and Lagos arrived at the Ahoada High Court this (yesterday) morning to argue for the vacation of the interim order and saw the senseless and barbaric destruction of the Court.
“The PDP makes bold to suspect that the reported bombing was carried out by the agents of the Rivers State Government to prevent the court from sitting, so that the court would not be able to vacate the interim order made by the Ahoada High Court Judge, Hon Justice Charles Wali.
“Their aim also of bombing the Ahoada High Court is to further create a state of insecurity in Rivers State, to justify their continuous call for the removal of the State Commissioner of Police, Mbu Joseph Mbu.
“The PDP wishes to remind Rotimi Amaechi and his agents of darkness that the interim order issued by Justice Charles Wali of the Ahoada High Court lasted for only seven days, and it has since expired. Therefore, bombing the court to prevent it from sitting is a wasted, wicked, callous and shameful exercise by agents of Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
“The PDP condemns Rotimi Amaechi’s desperation for power and assures that Amaechi will be held responsible for any breakdown of law and order in Rivers State.”