The Godswill 2011 campaign Organization has said it has uncovered an ominous plot to assassinate the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio and kidnap members of his family within the country or during visits abroad. Consequently, it said it has requested for urgent security intervention to prevent the threat from being carried out.
According to a statement signed by the director of media and publicity, Mr. Anietie Ekong, the campaign organization said the plot to assassinate Governor Akpabio was hatched by some people working for a gubernatorial aspirant in Akwa Ibom State.
To buttress the charge, the Campaign Organization revealed that on Sunday, October 24, 2010, a member of the group using a pseudonym Imo Udoekaekpin, (ekot2010@gmail.com) and working for the said aspirant had caused to be published in Ibom Forum, a Yahoo Group site allegedly bankrolled by the gubernatorial contender, a post calling for the murder of the Governor and the kidnap of members of his family.
The Press statement by Godswill 2011 quoted the Yahoo Group post as saying in reference to Governor Akpabio: “the Governor will choke .… when a gun is drawn on him. So why whine like a baby instead of kidnapping or ordering the kidnapping of our governor, his wife, his children?!”
The release further quoted the menacing email as saying,” so why waste time begging the governor…. enable the kidnapping of her Excellency Unoma Akpabio; go beyond that and take in his baby son; find them in Banana Island, find them in London; let there be no safe place. Make our dear governor feel the pain….Till you are willing to waste even the Governor, misery will prevail.”
The Campaign Organization said it condemned this portentous plot and called on Akwa Ibom people to avoid politicians who have shown desperation in the pursuit of their ambition through blackmail and threat. “Our investigation shows that Imo Udoekaekpin who claims to reside in Uyo is actually Mr. Eno Adams who resides in Hayward, California, USA and is among those sponsored to undermine the Akwa Ibom State government.
“This plot signals an emerging culture of perilous politics alien to Akwa Ibom state and its people. It is very disturbing given the trend of viciousness now being demonstrated by a few recalcitrant Akwa Ibom citizens in the United States of America who we are told are being sponsored to destabilize the administration of Chief Godswill Akpabio through the dissemination of falsehood and propaganda through the internet.
“We call upon all Akwa Ibom people to remain vigilant, avoid and dissociate themselves from desperate politicians and other persons who promote or practice the culture of violence and divisiveness.
Rather, the people should fight to uproot such a culture with all lawful means available lest they lose generations and future glories of Akwa Ibom state to self-aggrandizing schemes by desperate opportunists.
The statement linked the plot to assassinate the Governor to a recent interview in National Life Newspaper edition of Saturday, October 30, 2010 in which the ACN gubernatorial aspirant in Akwa Ibom State, Senator John Akpanudoedehe called for the stoning of Governor Akpabio. The statement quoted the ACN aspirant to have said “He should be stoned in Lagos” in reference to Governor Akpabio.
It would be recalled that the ACN aspirant Senator Akpanudoedehe was recently arrested and detained by the Police in connection with the murder of Chief Paul Inyang, an Akwa Ibom State chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a staunch supporter of Governor Akpabio.
According to the statement, “what we are witnessing is a growing culture of thuggery, violence and brigandage which has been introduced to the politics of Akwa Ibom State by a self-confessed motor park tout because of his vaulting ambition,” it said.
The campaign organization said the recent assertion by Governor Akpabio that incidents of kidnappings and political assassinations in Akwa Ibom State had political undertones in terms of sponsorship should be thoroughly investigated by security agencies since the opposition in the state believed that since the Governor cannot be faulted on performance, the only way to get him out of the way was through the contrivance of a state of insecurity that would lead to the declaration of a state of emergency.
The statement advised the supporters of Governor Akpabio to remain calm and law abiding assuring that the threat to the lives of the Governor and members of his family had been reported to security agencies which have promised to investigate and bring to justice the perpetrators of this clandestine plot.
Signed:
Anietie Ekong
Director of Media and Publicity