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Tag: Akwa Ibom

  • INEC officials colluding with Gov Emmanuel, Akpabio alleges

    Former Akwa Ibom Governor Senator Godswill Akpabio has alleged some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were colluding with Governor Udom Emmanuel to compromise the forthcoming elections.

    He accused some of the INEC officials of being not completely independent, alleging they have been compromised by Governor Emmanuel.

    Akpabio told newsmen in Abuja the governor has deployed huge sums to entice voters and electoral officials.

    The former governor alleged Emmanuel has no single project to show and has consistently told the people that there is no money in the state, even after collecting refunds spent to construct federal roads by his government.

    He, however, expressed confidence President Muhammadu Buhari will emerge victorious in Saturday’s rescheduled presidential elections.

    The former Senate Minority Leader said: “You know that INEC is an Independent body but some of its officials are not totally Independent.

    “In some states, we have noticed some unholy alliances with the government in power in those states.

    “For example, in a place like Akwa Ibom, we have seen the body language of the government, which clearly shows that they will not be able to conduct free and fair elections, giving all the parties, particularly the APC, a level playing field.

    “This is very easy for you to see and from the body language of people they have recruited to run the affairs, including the ad hoc staff and other support staff for the election.

    “This can be seen from the body language and the kind of things that the trainees are being told. What the National Chairman observes about opposition against APC does exist.”

    He went on: “There are two things happening in my state. One is a lot of fake news coming from the opposition and secondly, is massive deployment of funds to buy people.

    “James Hardley Chase said in one of his books that fear is the key that opens the wallet of the rich.

    “He told the people that there was no money to do project and so, there is nothing on the ground in the state.

    “They have not been able to commission a single project. All the big me that come to my state, they take the churches to pray.

    “When former President Obasanjo came, they took him to church to pray but when they go to other states, they commission projects but nothing to commission in my state.

    “So, now that people are clamouring for change, money is now flowing all over the state. Fear opens the wallet of the rich that is what is happening to the opposition in my state.

    “You can only rig election in a place where you are popular. Today, the APC is all over Akwa Ibom state.

    “80-90 percent of the people are APC. So, when you go to rig election and you don’t succeed, you bring anarchy.”

    On the chances of Buhari, he said: “Nigerians know the difference between apples and oranges. The reality is that this President has done very well considering the fact he took us out of recession.

    “He met many projects on ground and is completing them such as the railway lines. He has invested in massive infrastructure never seen before.

    “I have been a governor and I know that federal budget usually contain 70 and sometimes 80 percent of recurrent expenditure and sometimes, what is left is less than 20 percent for capital projects.

    “But this President has been able to block the loopholes in the system and free more money for developmental purposes.

    “The TSA is a major innovation and as you know, some ministries were operating more than 50 accounts.

    “Today, we have been able to mobilise those funds into one account and over 30 percent of the budget now goes for capital projects. Nigerians are clamouring for infrastructural change and better educational facilities.”

  • Police parade 63 suspects over pre-electoral violence in A’Ibom

    …..recovers stolen PVCs

     

    The Akwa Ibom State Police Command on Monday paraded 63 suspected political thugs.

    Also paraded were suspects arrested in connection with the pre-election violence in Obot-Akara local Government area where two persons were killed and thirteen vehicles burnt on Saturday.

    The suspects were allegedly hired from Bayelsa, Delta and Ondo States, it was learnt.

    Recovered from the suspects are one locally-made short gun, 25 live cartridges, two machetes, charms of different types, a knife, phones and human hairs and two axes, PCVs were some of the items recovered from the suspects.

    State police commissioner, Bashir Makama while parading the suspects at the state police command, Uyo, said a total of 41 of them who claimed to be observers on monitoring mission for the election were
    arrested on Friday, February 15th at Angellyne hotel in Uyo, without INEC identification number and could not give proper identity of themselves.

    Makama who was represented at the briefing by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Odiko Macdon, said 20 other suspects were arrested on the same day, February 15th at Ukanafun Local Government Area.

    Read Also: Political thugs set 30 buildings on fire in Ebonyi

    The CP said the suspects were allegedly brought in from Port Harcourt, Rivers State by one Uduak Dick, on the pretext of attending the burial ceremony of a Lance Corporal in the Nigerian Army, one Udo Essien.

    Makama said some suspects on February 13th set ablaze INEC office at Eastern Obolo Local Government Area but the timely intervention by the police saved the office and all the materials meant for the election.

    The Commissioner added that one Anietie Peters who hails from Mkpat-Enin Local Government Area was arrested on Friday in possession of 34 Permanent Voter Cards while one Ayaya Bassey and Asequo Ebio, arrested from Ikot-Ekpene Local government Area had confessed to bepolitical thugs hired by a politician from Cross River state.

    He said the Command on February 12th also killed two suspected killersof one Anthony Ikechuwu, a pharmacist who was shot dead by thehoodlums at St. Michael Primary School Abak, Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

    Makama who said the victim’s Lexus Jeep with registration number, AKD 850 has been recovered, adding that the suspects were traced to their hideout in Aba, Abia state. They were killed in a gunduel with members of SARS from Akwa Ibom State, while a locally made revolver pistol with four live cartridges were recovered from the suspects.

    Makama used the occasion to warn politicians in the state to play by the rules and advised their supporters to conduct themselves or risk arrest by the police.

    “Let me use this opportunity to call on politicians to play the game based on the rules. Let me assure you that the non-partisan nature of the police in Akwa Ibom State will not change, we will remain
    apolitical, neutral and committed to free, fair and credible elections. We will at all times act professionally based on International best practices” Makama said.

    One of the forty-one arrested suspects, Okoroda Ken from Bayelsa state said they were arrested in Angellyne hotel by 3am on Friday, 15th February, 2019 where they lounged, adding that they were yet to reach their coordinator who booked the hotel for them.

    He said, “We all submitted our passport to Society for Advancement for Credible Leadership and Observation. This organisation is registered and credited by INEC. Since we submitted our passport, we were told our names were submitted to INEC and that we will likely monitor the election in Uyo.

    “We came on Thursday to confirm whether our names were there or not. We were in the Angellyne hotel booked for us by the Coordinator of the group, Berefa Bedfon. When we were arrested, all our phones were taken from us and we have not been able to contact anyone. INEC can prove if our names have been registered with them”.

  • Two killed as thugs burn buses conveying electoral materials in Akwa Ibom  

    Two persons have been killed reported killed in Akwa Ibom State after suspected thugs set buses carrying sensitive electoral materials to Obot Akara local government area of the state.

    The buses which were also conveying election personnel were set on fire and some of the drivers wounded with machetes.

    Read also: EU, AU, UN, other observation missions urge INEC to adhere to new dates

    The personnel and drivers escaped and  found  their way  to the  INEC office to report the incident.

  • Breaking: PDP rejects postponement of election

    The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Prince Uche Secondus has said that shoddy arrangement for this election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is a deliberate predetermined agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari to cling on to power even when it’s obvious to him that Nigerians want him out.

    He was reacting to the postponement of the election by INEC.

    Prince Secondus said that the postponement which is part of a grand design by the All Progressives Congress, APC, to thwart the will of Nigerians at all cost, clearly exposes INEC as a failure and calls on the Chairman of the Commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu to resign immediately.

    The PDP leader warns that the party will not accept anything short of a well organized electoral process devoid of manipulation, harassment and intimidation of voters and the opposition particularly members of the PDP.

    “Having failed in all their nefarious options to enable them cling on to power, the APC and the INEC came up with the idea of shifting election an action that is dangerous to our democracy and unacceptable”, he said.

    The National Chairman said that the APC in connivance with the INEC have been trying all options including but not limited to burning down INEC offices in some states and destroying of electoral materials to create artificial problems upon which to stand for their dubious act.

    According to a statement from the National Chairman’s media office signed by Ike Abonyi, Prince Secondus said that the party is privy to all the pressures from the APC and the federal government to arm-twist the INEC, to dance to their new strategy after their earlier ones failed.

    “With several of their rigging options failing, they have to force INEC to agree to a shift in the election or a staggered election with flimsy excuses pre-manufactured for the purpose.

    “For the avoidance of doubt the PDP sees this action as wicked and we are also aware of other dubious designs like the deployment of hooded security operatives who would be ruthless on the people ostensibly to scare them away.

    He said that by the action of the President has further demonstrated his insensitivity costing the huge cost after Nigerians including those who came home from abroad have all mobilized to their various constituencies.

    The National Chairman recalls that the PDP had earlier alerted Nigerians that the APC was coming up with lined up rigging strategies including burning down of INEC offices and engineering crisis in PDP stronghold areas to scare away the people.

    Prince Secondus said that the wicked killing of over 60 persons mostly women and children in Southern Kaduna on the eve of the election is a copious ploy by the APC to frighten the people away from voting knowing too well that they were not going to record any vote from the area.

    “Recall that the Governor of Kaduna state, Mallam Nasir el-rufai had earlier threatened international election observers of going to their country in body bags and with the fatal violence in the state on the eve of  election, it’s clear what the motives are, to frighten the observers from the state so that he can carry out his nefarious acts.

    The National Chairman also drew the attention of all lovers of democracy to the statement of President Buhari on the international media that nobody can unseat him from office as an indication of what he wants to do.

    Prince Secondus also regretted that President Buhari who made a promise at the signing of peace accord that the election will be conducted in a fair and transparent atmosphere  has gone ahead in breach of the peace agreements to send soldiers and other security agencies to arrest, harass and intimidate opponents in Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Kwara, Kano, Kaduna states.

  • Police arrest scores of suspected thugs in Akwa Ibom 

    The police in Akwa Ibom have arrested scores of suspected political thugs at various locations and hotels in Uyo metropolis.
    The suspects who are alleged to be thugs sponsored by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were picked up in Angelo Hotel, situated close to Ewet Housing Estate and other hotels in the city following a tip off.
    Spokesperson of the 2019 All Progressives Congress(APC) campaign council, Mr. Eseme Eyiboh and other stalwarts of the APC had alleged that the suspects are working for the PDP.
    The state publicity secretary of the PDP, Comrade Iniobong Ememobong said he was not aware of the arrest of any group of persons said to be working for the party.
    But the State Commissioner of police, Mr. Bashir Makama, who confirmed the arrest, the police was still investigating the matter to find out if the suspects were PDP or APC thugs.

    Read also: Man, 44, faces unlawful damage of property charge

    Makama said the police acted on intelligence report hence carried out raids on suspected black spots in Uyo and its environs to forestall any breakdown of law and order during the Presidential election on Saturday.
    The CP, who also silent on the number of suspects arrested in the sting operation, also said he was not aware of any vehicle caught with cache of money.

  • PDP to deploy 40 million members to monitor polls

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has said that it will deploy 40 million of its members across the federation to monitor Saturday’s presidential election.

    Also, the party said it has put in place a state-of-art Parallel Voting Tabulation (PVT) system for the same purpose.

    This was disclosed at a media briefing in Abuja Wednesday by one of the party’s campaign spokespersons and chairman of the Strategy Committee of the PDP Presidential Campaign, Mr Osita Chidoka.

    Accordingly to Chidoka, the PVT is a scientifically proven, best practice technique, to hold election authorities accountable, particularly when there is lack of trust, and the results are highly contested.

    Commenting on the decision of the party to engage the technology, Chidoka said, “The PVT is a tool that will assure that PDP partisans accept the results of the election, and that the country remains peaceful and respectful of its differences. We are aware that other PVTs will be conducted by civil society.

    “Our methodology accounts for several different scenarios to ensure continued collation of the results in the event of any disruptions with collation process.

    “Hard copies of the signed voter tally provided to all party agents by the NEC officers, will be transported to the central command centre should future disputes need to be reconciled”.

    Also in place, according to Chidoka, is a national network of fully equipped Situation Rooms and call centres. The centres will be fed a reporting system for the PVT through the wards, to the district headquarters, to the states, up to the national tally centre.

    Read Also: PDP accuses APC of burning INEC offices

    He further stated that the system has redundancies built at all levels, in the event of internet or comms shutdown or failure or any other eventualities.

    “The scope of the effort is historic for Nigeria, and it will provide us with statistical certainty to accept or challenge the declared results”, Chidoka added.

    As part of the measures put in place to safeguard the party’s votes, the spokesman said the PDP will be deploying an unprecedented number of trained party agents to each of the 176,000 polling units across the country.

    The agents are said to have been trained in the electoral process, with the understand of their rights to be present, and fully equipped with data and SMS technologies.

    Chidoka said they will be transmitting the results as certified by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) officers at the polling units in real-time.

    “The PDP has pivoted from recruiting first-time polling agents to recruiting high quality, educated individuals whose maturity and experience will help them manage and mitigate against challenges on election day.

    “Systems tests, and dry runs are being conducted to ensure our system is secure and fully integrated, from the polling unit all the way through to the party leadership”, Chidoka added.

    The main opposition party also said it has launched a nation-wide hotline for members of the public to report violence and electoral malpractices, with a multiple line inbound call centre linked to a single hotline number 097000551.

    According to Chidoka, the call centre will be able to identify issues to escalate serious concerns to both the party headquarters and other relevant authorities as appropriate.

    The party is also targeting voter bloc of 18 to 25 years of age, many of who are first time voters, with a set of 12 easy-to-follow guidelines already communicated to voters.

    Similarly, an interactive artificial intelligence message will be sent by the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar as his final campaign message imploring people to come out and vote.

    The PDP said it has studied the All Progressives Congress (APC) “playbook” from the Osun governorship election, alleging attempts at voter suppression, including interference and intimidation of voters, journalists, and civil society observers.

    Chidoka continued, “Most alarmingly, the security services were deployed to discourage voter turnout in opposition strong-holds.
    The PDP is concerned that the Osun playbook could be deployed again by the government, especially in the states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross Rivers, Delta, Kaduna, Kano, and Rivers.

    “In response to Osun and other incidents of electoral malpractice, and in ensuring a free and fair election in Nigeria, the PDP has adopted international best practices including; establishing a robust elections results management system and our wide array of intelligence collectors and patriotic public servants who are resolute in defending the Constitution and the integrity of our electoral process.

    “We exhort all Nigerians, whoever they wish to support, to come to the polls this Saturday and cast their vote with confidence.

    “Nigerian voters should go to the polls this Saturday in record numbers, confident that the electoral process will be upheld based on our laws and our constitution.

    “We are pleased with the signing of The National Peace Accord today and look forward to all parties honoring our shared commitment.

    “We are also confident that our election officials and security services will do their duty in accordance with their oaths and obligations.

    “Particularly, we call on the Inspector General of Police whose wide international experience places him with a historic burden to ensure that security agencies strictly abide by the election code of conduct and rules of engagement.

    “Never in Nigerian electoral history has a candidate been so prepared to win the election and get Nigeria working again, as Atiku Abubakar.

    “Likewise, no Nigerian political party has been so prepared to help ensure that the will of the people will prevail through peaceful, free and fair elections.

    “The PDP is presenting some examples of our efforts, to give the Nigerian people the confidence that their vote, as expressed at the ballot box, will prevail”.

  • ‘We won’t allow electoral malpractice in Akwa Ibom’

    The Akwa Ibom State Police Commissioner, Bashir Makama, has threatened to arrest voters and politicians involved in electoral malpractices.

    Makama gave the warning at the Command’s headquarters Uyo during a meeting with party stakeholders, heads of security agencies and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    According to him, the command has put necessary logistics and machinery in place to ensure credible elections.

    He said: “As a command, we have done everything possible to ensure that peace reigns. Politics should be without bitterness and rancour; it is not a do or die affair.

    “You must therefore behave yourselves at polling units because we will not tolerate any irresponsible behaviour. Please adopt a transparent strategy for winning. Canvassing for, buying or selling of votes is against electoral acts. Anybody seen doing this will be arrested.”

    Makama added that wearing of party insignia, blaring of siren and carrying phones within the polling units would not be tolerated.

    “Don’t even come out with insignia, banners or anything that constitute a violation of the Electoral Act, you are advised because when you are caught, I will arrest you. Anything that negates the Electoral Act will not be condoned,” he said.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mike Igini, reiterated INEC’s readiness to conduct credible polls.

    He hinted that the commission, in its bid to conduct credible polls, relocated 22 polling units from private homes. He blamed politicians for electoral violence, and urged them to play by the rules in Saturday’s elections.

  • Ex-deputy gov attacks Akpabio over corruption allegations

    A former deputy governor of Akwa Ibom state, Obong Chris Ekpenyong has attacked Senator Godswill Akpabio for accusing him of corrupt practices.

    Ekpenyong and Akpabio are contesting for the Ikot Ekpene (Akwa Ibom Northwest) Senatorial seat in the National Assembly in the February 19 elections on the platforms of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and All Progressives Congress(APC) respectively.

    Trouble started when Akpabio allegedly accused Ekpenyong of corruption and dishonesty in the handling of electrification contracts in Obot Akara local government area of the state when he served as deputy governor under former governor Victor Attah.

    Akpabio is also quoted to have said during a campaign rally at Obot Akara recently that Ekpenyong does not possess the credentials and integrity to represent his people at the Red Chambers of the National Assembly.

    “Chris Ekpenyong in 2006 sold all the materials released for rural electrification projects of Ikot Abia clan in Obot Akara Local Government Area including over 10 units of 200 KVA transformers, 33 KVA generators, MV cables, insulators and poles”, adding: “A good friend is better than a bad brother”, Akpabio is quoted to have said at the rally.

    But in a swift reaction, Ekpenyong at the weekend dismissed such allegation as “a mere fabrication spewed by a serial liar and desperate Akpabio who has lost out in the political equation of the district with the intent to score cheap political points”.

    “I am not a coward and I am not bothered by Akpabio senseless insinuations since those allegations do not resemble me. I have never in my life done any electrification project for Akwa Ibom State government, the government ministries are there, you can go and verify”.

    Obong Ekpenyong asserted that he never benefited from any contract from Akpabio in the state. Before becoming a Deputy Governor, I have been in business in the power sector, executing jobs and trading on power facilities and equipment since 1989, so people should ask Godswill where his company was before he was brought into the government of Obong Victor Attah.

    “I am a genuine businessman and employer of labour, my office is at No. 42, Osolo Way in Lagos and up till now, the business is still running, you know the ones in Akwa Ibom State and their locations”. I am not a thief because I was well groomed and trained from humble parents whom I also rewarded with a good home, cars and other essential things to make them proud of their son.

    “I challenge Godswill Akpabio to show the world the contract award papers for the said electrification projects executed by me as a deputy governor as well as when he came and stole the mandate as governor for 8 years”, he assured voters of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District that “no amount of threat and blackmail will deter me from rescuing your mandate from a known fraudster and blackmailer whose stock in trade is to deceive and dupe people of their hard-earned resources alongside some Igbo partners in a dubious office on top of tasty fried kitchen outlet on Opebi Road in Ikeja, Lagos ”.

    Ekpenyong dismissed as laughable the allegation by Akpabio that he embezzled funds meant for construction of Obot Akara Bridge and lamented that Akpabio is crossing the same bridge he (Ekpenyong) spent his N34m to construct for campaigns and got votes in Obot Akara in 2007, 2011 and 2015 without remembering the area afterwards.

    “As a deputy governor, I made a request for construction of this bridge to the then President Obasanjo at a Council of State Meeting, Abuja in 2003 and President Obasanjo directed the then Minister of Works, Chief Tony Anenih of blessed memory to construct the bridge for my people and other Nigerians.

    ”Armed with this directive, I therefore approached Union Homes Savings & Loans Limited who funded the construction of the bridge, and a total of N64m was spent on the project including the approach-roads.

    ”At the end, the Federal Government through the Ministry of Works released only N30m to Union Homes while the balance of N34m which included bank charges and interest was paid by me to Union Homes, the records are there”.

    “I buried my parents with my personal money, Godswill Akpabio buried his mother with state funds and converted her grave into a secret vault where he stored part of the over N1.64trillion stole of the over N3trillion his infamous era received from the Federation Account between 2007 and 2015.

     

    “I have already petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate these allegations and compel Thief Godswill Akpabio to come and explain how he was able to acquire choice properties in Dubai, Lagos, Abuja and a multi-billion naira international school owned by his wife at Shelter Afrique, Uyo”, Ekpenyong said.

    He lamented that “for eight years of Akpabio administration, the only contract he awarded in my Obot Akara Local Government Area, is the abandoned 10km Oku Obom – Ikot Abasi Eduo – Ikot Out – Usaka Annang road awarded at N4.8b which only 4km is completed leaving 6km undone whereas the entire contract sum of N4.8b was removed from Akwa Ibom State coffers by Senator Akpabio as governor of Akwa Ibom State, the guy is just a rogue and EFCC must investigate this too”.

    Ekpenyong therefore, urged the people of the zone, especially eligible voters across the 10 Local Government Areas against being misled into returning a candidate who has already shown much disdain for his people and the party that brought him fame and fortune.

  • Akwa Ibom Democracy Watch calls for change of REC

    A pro-democracy group, Akwa Ibom Democracy Watch (AIDW), has alleged that the current Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Mike Igini, has compromised his role as an independent umpire in the upcoming general elections.

    In a petition dated February 7th, 2019, addressed to INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, copies of which were sent to journalists, the group said the actions violated the Constitution of the Federal Republic, Electoral Act, Code of Conduct by Public Officers, Electoral Conventions, Rules and Regulation.

    In the petition, which was signed by its President, Amanam Uko and Director, Policy and Democracy, Donald Noah, the group urged the INEC chairman to redeploy Igini so as to restore peoples trust in the electoral process.

    The group said: “Due to numerous verbal and documented complaints against this REC, we were constrained to do a check on him and alas, to our chagrin, monumental cases of having compromised himself, have been established.

    “Even if one can ignore the fact that he was a very close ally of late Barrister Oronto Douglas, who in his life time, was a PDP Chieftain and top aide of Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan and got his appointment as REC via this partisan route, his antics and palpable steps to favour PDP are clearly unacceptable in the Nigeria of our dream!

    The group catalogued Igini’s wrong-doings to include name dropping, fictitious petition against the All Peoples Congress (APC), Akwa Ibom Chapter, open support for the Peoples Democratic Party  and  the February 6, 2019 Peace Accord event.

    According to the group: Igini has always boasted  that when the INEC chairman was serving as the Executive Secretary of TETFUND, the current Governor of Rivers State, Barrister Nyesom Wike, was the Hon. Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Education, and therefore, his supervisory official and boss and that the two struck a robust relationship that involved monetary issues, power-wielding and cover-ups that subsists up till today.

    On the Peace Accord signing event, AIDW said “This was fully a Gov. Udom Emmanuel/PDP activity. The Government House MC, Mr. Raphael Edem, was the MC, Government House protocol and security officers also played same roles!

    “The result was that Mr. Nsima Ekere, APC Governorship candidate, was refused access on arrival, on the flimsy and childish excuse that he arrived after Gov. Udom Emmanuel was already seated.

    “All explanations by the APC candidate that he was coming directly from another election-related activity, which was organised by the Methodist Church, fell on deaf ears.

    “Mr. Igini forgot or pretended not to know that for the purpose of that event, Mr. Udom Emmanuel was a candidate, not a governor and that the protocol of the governor being already seated holds no water,” the group said.

     

  • Ekere promises to end youth militancy in Akwa Ibom

    THE All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom State, Obong Nsima Ekere, has promised to end the rampant criminality from militant youths that has paralysed socio-economic life in three council areas in the state by implementing a programme of amnesty that is sincere and comes with empowerment for the youths who have been forced into anti-social activities by lack of economic opportunities.

    Ekere said an APC government’s amnesty programme for the youths who renounce insurgency will be different from the “deceitful offering by the Udom Emmanuel administration which has given the youths nothing but lies.”

    Ekere made the promise on yesterday at his campaign rally in Ukanafun council headquarters where more than 200 members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) defected to the All Progressive Congress (APC) with the prom ise to work for the success of the party in the forthcoming elections.

    Amid the influx of new members into the party, Ekere promised Ukanafun people a new deal.

    “I will bring Ukanafun back to the path of peace and development,” he said. He added that he strongly empathized with the people of the council area as well as the people of Etim Ekpo and Ika council areas who had to endure three and a half years of rampant insecurity that led to so much destruction and loss of lives while the state governor whose responsibility was to protect them was busy scoring himself 100 per cent on security, boasting that his major achievement was the maintenance of peace and security in the state.

    “While Udom scored himself 100 per cent on security, Ukanafun was totally insecure,” Ekere noted. “Udom is heartless. But I can assure Ukanafun people that these dry bones shall rise again.