Unknown arsonists yesterday bombed the National College Field, venue of a scheduled governorship rally of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Okrika, headquarters of Okrika Local Government area of the state.
Okrika is the hometown of the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan.
The attackers on the wee hours (about 3am) of Saturday reportedly threw explosives suspected to be dynamite into the venue of the scheduled rally of the APC governorship candidate, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, destroying the podium and canopies erected for the rally.
The assailants had stormed the venue of the rally three times, first at 3:45am, 4am and then at 10am, where they vandalised chairs, canopies, food items and drinks meant for refreshment at the rally.
The State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, in a text message sent to newsmen exactly 10:53 a.m. stated:"Some more boys came and started destroying things at the venue in Okrika again.
"The police who were coming with APC personnel carrier drove off. We are without any security and are under siege in Okrika. This is our situation as at now,"she said.
Peterside was scheduled to hold the continuation of his governorship campaign at National Field, Okrika.
Our correspondent who went to the venue reports that soldiers and policemen led by an Army Captain had condoned off the area.
Apart from the podium and canopies destroyed, two cars, a Toyota Highlander and Nissan Primera, were completely burnt, while a Ford cooling truck was also destroyed at the venue of the rally.
Also, one Volkswagen Bora (black colour) and a Toyota Camry (light brown) were also destroyed at a junction leading to the campaign venue.
The captain (names withheld) who is the head of the security team, told our correspondent that their presence was to prevent the situation from degenerating and asked newsmen not to take any photograph.
He said,"As you can see, we are here to ensure that the situation does not escalate. For security reasons, no photographs, please."
The State Commissioner for Police, Mr. Dan Bature, who confirmed the incident, said, "podium and public address systems were damaged. No life was lost. The area is now under police control, while a police bomb disposal unit has commenced discreet investigation in earnest."
Meanwhile, ahead of the January 28 planned presidential rally of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, heavily armed soldiers and policemen yesterday took over the 40,000 capacity Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium at Igwuruta-Ali, Ikwerre Local Government area of Rivers State.
It was gathered that the soldiers had moved into the facility early on Saturday morning keeping vigil up till press time.
The APC-led Rivers State Government and the state PDP have been engaged in a war of words over the planned use of the stadium by the latter
It would be recalled that the Rivers State Chairman of the PDP, Brother Felix Obuah, had said that the state government turned down the request to use the facility to host its presidential candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan, on Wednesday, January 28.
Speaking on the issue, governorship candidate of the PDP, Barrister Nyesom Wike, at a meeting with 'Goodluck to Goodluck' political pressure group in Port Harcourt recently, remarked that the APC used the same facility recently, and assured that the PDP would host President Jonathan there.
The APC had used the facility to flag off the party's presidential campaign for the South-South earlier this month, even as it was used late last year to celebrate the anniversary of the Supreme Court Judgment, which brought in Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
Wike said,"The PDP presidential rally will hold at the Amasieamaka Stadium on Wednesday, January 28.
"The APC held their presidential campaign rally on January 6, 2015 and an earlier rally on October 25, 2014 in the same stadium.
"Our presidential rally will hold at that stadium because it belongs to the people. It was built with tax payers'money. We are working with all stakeholders to ensure that the right thing is done to move the nation forward.
"We are committed to the peaceful use of the stadium for our presidential campaigns,"the Rivers PDP governorship standard-bearer said.
But Governor Amaechi at a rally for the APC governorship candidate in Etche Local Government of the state explained that the PDP cannot use the stadium, saying it was under construction.
Amaechi said,"The Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium is still under construction and the contractors are currently on site to make sure that they complete it so that we can hand over the stadium to Rivers people before we leave office on May 29.
"The PDP is complaining that they applied and we didn't give them approval to use the stadium. We have offered them the Liberation Stadium in Elekahia.
"They can hold as many rallies as they want in that stadium. Their (PDP's) refusal to use that stadium means they have ulterior motive.
"I hear that they (PDP) is insisting they will use the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, but we (state government) will not allow them to use that stadium, and they will not use it,"the governor said.
Our reporter who visited the stadium on Saturday afternoon reports that about 11 fierce-looking, heavily armed soldiers were stationed at the main entrance of the stadium, while more soldiers were spotted alighting from a hilux patrol van.
At the second gate, no fewer than 20 soldiers were spotted, some stationed outside the gate, while others were inside the stadium.
Meanwhile, the former Minister of State for Education, Wike was escorted to the stadium by a combined team of armed security operatives, including army, navy, mobile and regular policemen and operatives from the department of state security about 12:55pm yesterday.
It was leant that Wike had gone to inspect the facilities at the stadium ahead of the PDP Presidential rally on January 28 (Wednesday).
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