Confusion, panic dominated at the campaign meeting of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom state on Tuesday night when an explosion occurred, leaving three persons hospitalised.
The incident,which occurred at the party’s campaign office located along Edet Akpan Avenue, disrupted the APC stakeholders’ meeting ahead of Saturday’s governorship and House of Assembly elections.
According to an eye witness, Effiong Umana, the incident occurred at about 7:30 pm.
Umana said: “some gunmen arrived the scene in a car, threw explosives into the premises and started shooting randomly before fleeing in the middle of the confusion”.
“The attackers carried out the dastardly operation within few seconds and sped off before security operatives at the premises could return fire,” he added.
Blueprint gathered womanvictims of the attack, including a woman had been taken to police clinic in Uyo, the state capital for treatment.
Two other are said to be in critical conditions, while the third victim, whose name was given as Mrs. Uduak Sunday, from Uyo, sustained injury on her right leg.
Reacting to the attack, the APC Campaign Council in Akwa Ibom, via a statement signed by its Spokesperson, Mr. Eseme Eyiboh, described the attack as “another desperate attempt by the opposition party to scuttle the elections”.
“This is another in the series of cowardly attempts aimed at intimidating and cowing our party, the APC, and its supporters in the build up to the March 9, 2019 governorship election in the state.
“Some months ago, unknown gunmen fired shots into the bedroom of the APC governorship candidate, Nsima Ekere, at his Ewet Housing Estate residence, with his family members narrowly escaping the attack.
“The attack at the campaign office is a confirmation of earlier intelligence received by our party of the likely attempt by the PDP to truncate the March 9, 2019 governorship polls in the state.”
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in a swift reaction, dismissed such allegation as another of APC’s ploy to create an imaginary atmosphere of chaos ahead of the polls, assuring that the party would continue to toe the line of peace in the state.
In a statement signed by the PDP Publicity Secretary in the state, Comrade Ini Ememobong , the party said: ”Our party has been notified of some careless rumour making the rounds that PDP members drove by the campaign office of the APC governorship candidate and shot at their supporters.
“Nothing can be farther from the truth. How did the person know that the shooters were PDP members assuming there was any shooting?
“The leadership of the APC should hide their faces in shame for such ignoble act of importing thugs from Edo state to cause crisis in Akwa Ibom state, so that elections can be cancelled. Our party is a party of peace and not war. We see God not Warsaw” the party stated.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command, Mr. Odiko MacDon, could not respond to calls and text messages sent to his phone on the matter.
