Akpabio has threatened to ‘capture Akwa Ibom in three hours’

Charles Udoh, Akwa Ibom state commissioner for information, says Godswill Akpabio, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), h...

Charles Udoh, Akwa Ibom state commissioner for information, says Godswill Akpabio, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has threatened to capture the state within three hours.

In a statement on Tuesday, Udoh said the government had uncovered plots by the APC to cause violence and rig the elections in the state.

He accused Akpabio and Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of the APC, of making false allegations  that the administration of Udom Emmanuel, governor of the state, is conniving with the state resident electoral commissioner (REC) to influence the posting of ad hoc staff for the general election.

"The attention of the Akwa Ibom State Government has been drawn to comments made by two supposedly respectable Nigerians namely Messer Adams Oshiomole and Godswill Akpabio. While speaking at their party's caucus meeting yesterday, they both insinuated that there was an unholy alliance between the Akwa Ibom State Government and the State's Resident Electoral Commissioner to the extent of influencing the placements of ad-hoc staff among other malicious allegations," the statement read.

"The Akwa Ibom State Government wishes to state that the allegations are false and baseless. They are part of an orchestrated script of the APC to actualize their much vaunted plans of taking over power in the state through violent and sinister plots.

"Recall at several instances, the former Senate Minority leader has boasted that he will capture Akwa Ibom State within 3 hours on Election Day. His supporters have also repeatedly chanted that elections results will be written and announced without recourse to the will of the people at the polling centers using federal might.

"A combination of these raise a lot of dust over the intent of the seemingly persistent and overt interest of Mr. Adams Oshiomole in the affairs of Akwa Ibom State to the extent of canvassing for the replacement of the electoral umpire. It paints a graphic picture of a man who is pulling the puppet strings for the former Senate Minority Leader. It is worrisome that these two supposedly respectable former Governors; who are expected to be role models to the younger generation, have taken the art of unguarded utterances and reckless actions to a new realm with impunity."

He said the APC stalwarts were plotting to replace the REC in order to give room for manipulation.

"Against this backdrop, it is obvious that the ongoing desperate chants by the APC for the removal of the electoral umpire in Akwa Ibom State is an orchestrated plan to manipulate the electoral process," he said.

"It is on record that at several instances the APC in Akwa Ibom State have displayed flagrant acts of impunity that alludes to their desperate desire to actualize their hideous script. At a rally in Ikot Ekpene, their Governorship candidate; the recently sacked NDDC Managing Director, proudly received and flaunted gifts of guns, daggers and machetes from his party chieftains who admonished him to be ruthless in utilizing those instruments of assaults. This was seen on National TV live broadcast and streamed live on several social media platforms.

"We are all living witnesses to the incessant threats by the former Senate Minority Leader to visit mayhem on the Government and people of Akwa Ibom State as part of his plot to wrestle power at all cost."