Okon Bassey in Uyo
Some groups in Akwa Ibom State, Eket Senatorial District Media Professionals (ESDMP) and Akwa Ibom Integrity Alliance (AIIA), have stated that the claim by the Eket senatorial candidate of Young Progressives Party (YPP), Mr. Ephraim Inyang-Eyen, that the state government was planning to arrest and prosecute him is not true, but intended to heat up the polity.
They made the assertion while briefing journalists in Uyo, the state capital, yesterday.
The Director of Public and Strategic Communication, ESDMP, Mr. Joseph Ekong, noted that the comment by Inyang-Eyen, a former Chief of Staff to the state governor, came on the heels of the recent sentencing of the YPP governorship candidate in the state, Senator Bassey Albert Akpan, by the Federal High Court to 42 years imprisonment.
On its own, the Akwa Ibom Integrity Alliance in a statement issued yesterday said it is shameful for Inyang-Eyen to link the state governor to Akpan’s ordeal.
“These reckless statements are designed to create or reinforce the erroneous impression that the state government was directly or indirectly involved in the petitioning, investigation and trial of the Senator,” the group said.
Ekong posited that the trial of Senator Akpan started long before Udom Emmanuel became the state governor, adding that neither the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) which prosecuted him nor the Federal High Court is a state government institution.
“Nobody should play the victim by attempting to create the impression that the state government is cracking down on the opposition.
“It is a statement of facts that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) doesn’t have to go to ridiculous extents in order to retain its foothold on Akwa Ibom South senatorial district in particular and the entire state in general,” he stated.
For peace, unity and progress of the state, the group advised Inyang-Eyen and his followers to refrain from outbursts capable of breaching the peace currently being enjoyed in the state.
On his part, the Chairman of Akwa Ibom Integrity Alliance, Steve Abia, said Inyang-Eyen is seeking public sympathy from the people of Eket senatorial district ahead of his 2023 Senatorial aspiration.
