By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The residence of a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Mr Tonye Princewill, was on Friday attacked by some yet-to-be-identified gunmen.
A statement issued by the governorship hopeful in the gubernatorial election in 2023 disclosed that the unfortunate incident happened in the early hours of the day.
However, he was lucky as he was not at home when the hoodlums invaded his home. Mr Princewill was away with his ally, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, who is the current Minister of Transportation, who is on a consultative tour of most Emirate Councils in Northern Nigeria, where he is seeking support for the presidential bid next year.
In the statement personally signed by him, Mr Princewill claimed the invasion of his residence was an attempt on his life as he plans to take over from Governor Nyesom Wike next year.
“[I] can confirm that in the early hours of this morning, my house was broken into. The target was clearly me, as the intruders headed straight for what they thought was my room, broke in and met my absence.
“Nothing of value was taken, except the hard drive of the CCTV recorder, which leads me to conclude, they had only one objective; my elimination,” a part of the statement said.
“I want to thank God that the devil is a liar and His children will always be protected. Thankfully, I am well and nobody in my household was hurt, but this is a stark reminder that the 2023 political season has started and those who cannot win on the field, will seek other ways to attain power. It may have worked in the past, but not here and not now.
“Let me assure my well-wishers and my supporters that this incident has not deterred me, rather it has made me more committed to their cause.
“A more peaceful Rivers state, where all can sleep with both eyes closed and our youths can engage in meaningful activities that can put food on their family’s tables. Brick house is still our destination.
“We are clearly a threat to someone. That person and their group of persons will soon be exposed,” he stated.
“In the meantime, I ask for your prayers and your support and some privacy. Any additional detail we have will be released to you via the security agencies. Let them do their jobs. Men from the security agencies are currently on the scene and I have every confidence that justice will be done,” he concluded.
