Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) and a leader within the All Progressives Congress (APC), has claimed that the recent explosion in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, was aimed at the Presidential Hotel, where the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Privatization were accommodated at that moment.
The lawmakers were in the state for an oversight function.
He condemned schemes by FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike’s political followers, comprising of former Council Chairmen and stranded ex-lawmakers, to turn the Rivers political playground into an unsavory scene of carnage and bloodbath
Daily Post reported on June 25, 2024, an incident of detonation of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) near Hotel Presidential in the heart of Port Harcourt, the state’s capital, during a protest led by political associates of the Minister of FCT, Wike.
They embarked on the protest despite warnings from the Commissioner of Police against engaging in the procession due to serious security concerns.
In a statement made available to the media, the APC chief said the protest was a mere tactic contrived by those he described as ‘sore losers’ as a cloak to unleash mayhem in strategic locations in the state, including Hotel Presidential, where members of the Senate Committee on Privatization, who were in the state for an oversight function, were lodged. This was done to give a national coloration to their vain call for a state of emergency.
Describing the crude political escapade of the overzealous political jobbers as contrary to every recognized standard of civilized behavior and conventional conduct of responsible citizens in a democracy, Eze said it is tantamount to waging war against the state for disgruntled politicians to freely resort to armed warfare in a bid to foist their inordinate desire on the state and her people against the spirit of the law and in defiance of a reasonable order to ‘cease and desist’ by the Police Force.
The APC chief expressed fears that investigations into the incident may be marred by undue interference, as reports are ripe that the Force Headquarters is under pressure to transfer the prime suspect in the explosion to Abuja, where the chief proponent and provocateur of the Rivers political crisis, Nyesom Wike, holds sway as territorial minister.
Eze called on the Inspector General of Police to resist any pressure on him to scuttle the investigation into the incident to unravel the masked man of influence fueling armed conflict in the state to topple the administration of Governor Siminialayi Fubara, who has so far shown rare competence in steering the business of government in the state.
Similarly, the APC chief urged the Rivers State Commissioner of Police to extend an invitation to the protesters, particularly their leaders, including House of Representatives member Hon. O.K. Chinda, former Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, former Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, George Ariorlu, and others.
Eze said the invitation is necessary to offer them the opportunity to explain the rationale behind their action, which was in gross disobedience of a serious warning from the police against embarking on their ill-fated expedition, which turned out to be a scene of bloodshed.
