From Tony John, Port Harcourt

Sporadic shooting amid protests rocked the All Progressives Congress (APC) secretariat along Woji Road, GRA, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The protest occurred as hundreds of party supporters loyal to a frontline governorship aspirant, Senator Magnus Abe, besieged the premises, alleging hijack of state House of Assembly aspirants’ screening and ward/state delegates selection.

Earlier, the aggrieved party aspirants and their supporters, who arrived at the secretariat around 6:00 am, alleged that there was a plot to disenfranchise, as the entrance gate was under lock and key.

An aggrieved female aspirant from Etche constituency 1, Uloma Onyeche, contesting for Rivers State House of Assembly, accused the factional leader, chairman and a senatorial aspirant of compromise.

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However, trouble ensued when some of the youths attempted to forcefully open the gates which made the policemen stationed inside the party secretariat to shoot into the air.

There was a cacaphony of gunshots causing pandemonium, as all the people outside including journalists covering the protest scampered for safety.

Some journalists and other protesters got wounded and lost their phones and personal belongings.

Meanwhile, at the time of filing the report, Police could not confirm the report trending on social media that one of the protesters was shot dead.