Akwa Ibom rerun: Keep Akpabio on close watch - Group tells security agencies
- A group has raised an alarm ahead of the rerun election in Essien Udim local government area of Akwa Ibom state
- Akwa Ibom Liberation Movement called on security agencies in the state to guarantee the safety of voters
- The socio-political group accused the Minister of Niger Delta affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, of planning to cause violence during the exercise
A foremost sociopolitical in Akwa Ibom, Akwa Ibom Liberation Movement has called on security agencies to guarantee the safety of voters during Saturday's rerun election in Essien Udim local government area of the state.
The group in a statement sent to journalists on Friday, January 24 by its secretary-general, Solomon Abasiekong, stated that there is palpable tension in the local government ahead of the primaries.
The group accused the Minister of Niger Delta affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, of planning to cause violence.
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AILM urged security agencies in the state to keep Senator Godswill Akpabio under close watch during the rerun election.
“In the event where concerned security agencies fail to act, to forestall, safeguard and guarantee the safety of each voter and other law-abiding indigenes of Essien Udim and the state, before, during and after the election; we will not hesitate to mobilise Nigerians to pass a vote of no confidence on them.
“May this statement be a formal call to action to security agencies, notably, the Nigerian Army, Department of State Services, and Nigeria Police Force to beam its surveillance on Senator Godswill Akpabio, his men and any other persons who may want to cause violence during the rerun election tomorrow,” the group said.
The group called on relevant international and domestic election monitoring groups to monitor the rerun election closely.
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“The struggle for global peace must be holistic. It must cover the smallest part of every community - and it starts with Essien Udim tomorrow,” the group said.
AILM had earlier accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom of plotting to substitute Akpabio's name for another candidate ahead of the election.
The group made this known during a press briefing on Tuesday, December 10, held at its secretariat in, Uyo, the state capital.
Similarly, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had alleged that there are plans by the APC to unleash violence on the people and rig the re-run the election.
A statement by the PDP national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbodiyan on Thursday, January 23, alleged that there are plans to invade the local government, unleash unbridled violence and manipulate the electoral process in favour of the APC.
Akpabio later pulled out of the election in a letter addressed to the national chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
Akpabio said as a minister, a huge responsibility had been placed on him and he couldn’t abandon a critical assignment placed on him by President Muhammadu Buhari in pursuit of a re-run election.
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