Politics
THE Ikot Ekpene chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, on Wednesday accused the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, of masterminding the attack on Obot-Akara Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State
Two people were killed, while 13 vehicles belonging to the Independent National Electoral Commission meant for election duties were burnt.
The APC alleged that before the postponement of the February 16 polls, the PDP had hired armed thugs from Cross River and Rivers states to cause havoc and unleash the mayhem in Obot-Akara.
The Ikot Ekpene chapter Chairman of APC, Mr Etebong Udoh, specifically accused the Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Mr. Monday Uko, and two other leaders of PDP in the area of hiring armed thugs to unleash the mayhem.
He said, “It is the PDP that is to blame for the crisis that happened in our community. Some of the thugs arrested by the Police confessed that they were hired by the PDP leaders in the community.”
However, reacting to the allegations, the Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Mr. Monday Uko, accused men of the Nigeria Police Force of shielding the miscreants that perpetrated the violence in Obot-Akara on the eve of the postponed presidential elections.
Uko said the Police had earlier been alerted to plans by APC to hire thugs for the elections, but took no proactive step to arrest the situation before it escalated.
He said, “Credible intelligence from every reliable sources reveal that a plot has been hatched to plant incriminating items in my premises and car in order to have me arrested and detained.
“Also, there is another plot to hire some thugs who will be arrested with arms and on interrogation name me as their sponsor.”
Uko explained that the reported violence in Obot-Akara occurred when some thugs, allegedly sponsored by the APC, attacked INEC office in Obot-Akara, venting their frustration on some INEC buses, and setting them ablaze.
Describing Obot-Akara as a PDP stronghold, Uko said members of the opposition were very much aware of this fact, hence their resort to violence. – Punch
– Feb. 20, 2019 @ 15:32 GMT |
Tags: Akwa Ibom APC burn 13 INEC vehicles PDP trade blame as thugs kill two
