Barely a week to the scheduled rerun election in Rivers state, the office of the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) in Bori, headquarters of Khana local government area, has been bombed by suspected arsonist.

The rerun election is scheduled to hold on July 30 in eight local government areas in the state.

The Caretaker Committee Chairman of the local government council, Gbara Erelo, confirmed the attack on the INEC office which he said happened at about 12:30am.

In a predictable manner, the leadership of both the All Progressive Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party have blamed each other for the attack.

According to a statement by the state APC chairman, Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, the attack was allegedly carried out by the PDP led by the state governor, Nyesom Wike.

He said, “This is exactly what we have been saying; just yesterday Nyesom Wike was publicly threatening INEC, its Chairman, myself and Senator Magnus Abe and in less than 24 hours the INEC office in Senator Abe’s South-East Senatorial Headquarters (Bori) has been burnt down.

“This is typical of the saying that the witch cried last night and today the child dies. There’s no need looking elsewhere, Nyesom Wike has, as usual, carried out his earlier threat to visit us with fire.”

On their part, the PDP chairman in the state, Felix Obuah, said, “It is another deliberate action by the APC to create a state of insecurity, not only in Khana LGA and the Ogoni area, but in Rivers State as a whole, apparently to justify their demand for the postponement of the election, having realised that its candidates in the election from the area will not succeed in the poll.

Mazi Emeka