Clampdown On Action Congress of Nigeria In Akwa Ibom

CLAMPDOWN ON ACN IN AKWA IBOM
* As Akpabio Goes Tough on Tuesday Violence

GOVERNMENT has started to clampdown on principal opposition within the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Akwa Ibom State, following te Tuesday violence that claimed scores of lives and property worth billions of naira in the state.

AkanimoReports gathered that John Udoedehe, the ACN governorship candidate in the coming April polls is being detained on the alleged orders of Akpabio, the re-election seeking governor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), by the Police in Abuja.

It is being alleged that Akpabio had requested Sani Magaji, the out-going Police Commissioner in the state, to arrest the ACN governorship flag-bearer, but he allegedly refused.

Some sources say his refusal prompted Akpabio to press Abuja, for Magaji's immediate transfer out of Akwa Ibom. Guarded political whispers in the state have it that Akpabio personally ''lobbied'' the Police High Command in Abuja to replace Magaji with Felix Uyana, suspected to be a relative of Unoma, wife of Akpabio.

As at 2pm on Friday, it was not certain whether Ime Umana, a billionaire businessman and ACN deputy governorship candidate, has also been incarcerated.

Andem Ndem, one of the lawyers for the ACN in the state, claimed that the party's leaders and foot soldiers in Akwa Ibom are being politically repressed by government. Ndem, who was with Udoedehe at the Police headquarters in Abuja, said the ACN governorship candidate was being detained.

Meanwhile, Akpabio has said that no responsible government will condone the type of mayhem that was unleashed on the state on Tuesday.

According to the governor, ''hoodlums and their sponsors in the ACN singled out the properties of the PDP and its supporters for destruction. In particular, Fortune School, one of the frontline secondary schools in the state, owned by a PDP Senator – Alloysius Etok – as well as the President Goodluck Jonathan state Campaign office, both located in Uyo, were completely burnt down.

''No responsible Government can condone such lawlessness and wanton destruction of lives and properties. We commend the security agencies who have so far made 37 arrests and swiftly acted to bring the situation under control. We have directed that the arrested persons be charged to court immediately, while the search for their accomplices continues.

''We are fully resolved to bring to justice all those who participated in the perpetration of the heinous crime against our dear state and our people. The law as we know is no respecter of persons, and all those who collaborated, sponsored or were complicit in these attacks would be docked for trial no matter how highly placed they are or no matter who they think they are in the society''. ENDS

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