TheCable

The Akwa Ibom Liberation Movement, a sociopolitical group, has called on security agencies to guarantee safety of voters during Saturday’s rerun election in Essien Udim local government area of the state.

In a statement by Solomon Abasiekong, its secretary general, the group said tension has piled on in the local government ahead of the election following alleged plot of Godswill Akpabio, minister of Niger Delta Affairs, to cause violence.

Abasiekong urged security agencies in the state to keep Akpabio under close watch during the rerun election.

“The leadership and members of Akwa Ibom Liberation Movement are worried about the sudden tension piling on in our dear state, Akwa Ibom, barely 24 hours to the conduct of the rerun election in Essien Udim local government for Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial district, Ikot Ekpene/Obot Akara/Essien Udim federal constituency and Essien Udim state constituency. Recall that the Appeal Court in Calabar ordered a rerun in Essien Udim local government for the three positions listed in the preceding sentence, following the election petition appeals filed by candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC),” the statement reads.

“Note that in the build up to the rerun, the APC candidate for Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial district, Senator Godswill Akpabio, now Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, reportedly withdrew from the election. However, AILM like every responsive group in the state has noted the surge of tension mounted on the people of Essien Udim local government area who have been waiting eagerly to go out and cast their votes on Saturday, 25th January, by none other than Senator Godswill Akpabio, the senatorial candidate of the APC who had earlier said repeatedly that he is no longer interested in the election.

“We wish to call the attention of the Inspector General of Police; the Director Department of State Services; the Commanding Officer 2 Brigade, Nigerian Army and the Commanding Officer 6 Battalion, Ibagwa to the plot by Senator Akpabio, to use his position as Minister to cause the deployment of a parallel security team which he allegedly intends to use to wreck violence during the rerun election tomorrow. Also recall that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday 23rd January, in a widely publicised statement signed by the party’s national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbodiyan, drew public attention to the mindless plan by Akpabio to use state security apparatus to cause violence during the rerun.

“For emphasis, the PDP had said “it already have intelligence on how a serving minister on President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet has allegedly compromised a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police to deploy policemen to invade the local government, unleash unbridle violence and manipulate the electoral process in favour of the APC.

“While we do not doubt the veracity of the intelligence at the disposal of the PDP as shared, we are not also surprised at the antics of Senator Akpabio and his plot to reign violence on the people of Essien Udim local government during the rerun tomorrow, after all it is said that chameleon never changes its character. However, we will be surprised if government security has not yet acted on that piece of intelligence.”