Published
on August 16, 2022
The Campaign Organisation of the Young Progressives Party, Akwa Ibom State has raised an alarm over a suspected plot to frame its gubernatorial candidate, Senator Bassey Akpan and his political associates for the political unrest in the state.
This was contained in a statement by the spokesperson of the campaign organisation, Dr Usoro Usoro, which was made available to newsmen in Uyo, on Tuesday.
He alleged that some politicians were bent on plotting a series of schemes to destabilise the peace, tranquillity, rights and personal security of some individuals in the state.
He said intelligence reports at the disposal of his campaign organization indicate that some persons were plotting to organize anti-people protests, instigate unjust and illegal arrests of people suspected not to be in their support and blame the negative reaction on his campaign organization and his political associates.
The statement reads in part, “Frustrated by the increasing failure of their inordinate ambition to impose unpopular characters on the people of Akwa Ibom State, a band of unscrupulous politicians, apparently to divert attention from their fiasco, are said to be plotting a series of schemes to destabilise the peace, tranquillity, rights and personal security of some individuals in the state.
“We understand that the plan, reportedly coordinated by some agents of the government, followed the realisation that despite high-level manipulations, mercantile dealings and mafia-type plots, OBA (Senator Akpan) has become not just the governorship candidate of YPP but the most popular politician in the state.
“Within weeks, against political bookmakers’ predictions, YPP has witnessed a mass movement expected to culminate in the ballot revolution, next year.”
He said some of the party’s supporters and associates including journalists in the state have been trailed and arrested for no specific crime committed.
“For days now, some of our own members, including Idorenyin Umana, have been trailed, haunted and harrassed from their homes, while a newspaper distributor, Chidi Ngadiubia, has been arrested, reportedly on “orders from above”, for no specified crime.
“Equally, it has been in the news that some editors, including Ifreke Nsewo of The Mail newspaper, have been on the witch-hunt list of the government, apparently for publishing the truth about the mass rejection of a certain unwanted, scandal-ridden and unpopular governorship candidate.
“While we in Akwa Ubok Abasi Campaign Movement support responsible journalism and lawful living, we strongly oppose acts of intimidation, injustice, victimisation and any attempt to plot anarchy in any form.”
