BY Temitope Yakubu
The Akwa Ibom state police command has been warned against partisanship in the forthcoming gubernatorial election.
The warning came on the heels of allegations that the state police command is plotting to rig the elections in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking on the tense security situation in the state, the leader of Akwa Ibom Liberation Movement (AILM) Emmanuel Sam, accused the police of exhibiting lackadaisical attitude towards attempts to destabilise the state.
“Gentlemen, we woke up today with a dreadful news trending online that a facility belonging to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area, has been set ablaze by suspected political thugs,” he said.
“It is on record that several alarms have been raised recently about plot to burning down INEC offices in the state and expected the Police and other relevant security agencies to forestall them.
“We believe this avoidable incident could not have occured if preventive measures were taken. However, what has happened draws our mind back to recent events which took place in the state. Recall that on Monday March 4, 2019 the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, a supposed pastor, made boastful pronouncement about the plot to capture Akwa Ibom by force. His dreadful speech was applauded and supported by more reckless utterances of the APC national chairman, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole.
“It is easy to assume that those hoodlums reportedly released by the Police may have set the INEC office on fire. The actions of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command led by the CP Koaje, during this election period leaves room for suspicion of connivance with the APC to rig the electoral process and engage in other electoral malpractices.
“We must make clear our disappointment with the conduct of the state Police Command at this period of worsening security situation in our state. Let us not be forced to believe, as speculated in some quarters, that there was secret meetings between the Police and the APC governorship candidate, Nsima Ekere, where plans to cause mayhem and rig Saturday’s election were perfected. Since we are yet to hear from the CP on this allegation, we reserve our comment, but we urge the police not to be partial in their conduct during this last phase of election.
“At this juncture, we continue to call on the President Muhammadu Buhari to honour the oath he swore to defend Nigeria and Nigerians living in every part of the country. He is a product of democracy and must rise to defend it. He cannot claim to be unaware of what his Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, the national chairman of his party, Adams Oshiomole and few greedy politicians from Akwa Ibom are plotting in the state. The APC has become a most hated political party in the state due to its appalling methods.”
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