The political tension in the Imo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress deepened on Friday when unidentified hoodlums set the party secretariat on fire.

Though the fire didn’t affect the external parts of the building, the internal parts were engulfed in inferno.

Our correspondent who visited the secretariat located at the Imo State University junction in Owerri around 6:30pm amidst downpour, saw the secretariat engulfed in smoke.

Though no member of staff was sighted, people watched from afar as the smoke surged.

Our correspondent learnt that secretarial equipment, including files and documents, were destroyed.

No firefighter was seen on ground, neither did anybody make efforts to fight the fire.

When contacted, the state party chairman, Hilary Eke, who confirmed the development, accused those who he said attacked the party state office last weekend.

Eke, who said that the unidentified hoodlums attacked the secretariat “just to frustrate the Local Government Areas congress of the party on Saturday”, vowed that the exercise must go on.

He insisted that the contentious wards congress of the party was successful, urged those “who lost during the last weekend exercise to give peace a chance.”

According to him “I have been in a meeting ahead of the LGA congress of the party in Imo state. Those who attacked the Secretariat the other Saturday are likely to be the same people who set it on fire on Friday.

Despite the provocation ,the LGA congress must go on Saturday. We have already elected five man per ward during the ward Congress. The Congress does not take place at party Secretariat, it will take place in the 27 LGAs of the state on Saturday.

I have already petitioned the inspector General of Police over the attack on the Secretariat the other Saturday. My duty is to report to the police and the police have the duty to investigate. So members of staff identified those who attacked it. “

(PUNCHNG)