The opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) of plotting to forcefully annex states from the South South come next year’s general elections.
The PDP said it would resist the plot and warned the APC against any moves that would jeopardise the peace of the South South states.l
Speaking specifically about Akwa Ibom, the PDP national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan said on Wednesday that the party was aware the Muhammadu Buhari-led APC was out to cause mayhem in Akwa Ibom for the sole reason of taking it in 2019.
Ologbodiyan held a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday where the fears of PDP were laid bare before the public.
He said: “The PDP has invited you this afternoon to intimate you and the nation of a looming danger, imminent violence and breakdown of law and order in Akwa-Ibom state as well as other littoral states following attempts by President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to forcefully take over control of these states.
“As you may recall, two weeks ago, the PDP had cautioned the Buhari Presidency and the APC on their exposed plot to instigate confusion and
violence in Bayelsa state by destabilizing the security architecture of the state and foisting a siege mentality on the entire oil rich south-south region.
“Instead of retracing their steps, the Buhari Presidency and the APC have continued to design heinous machinations and issuing threats of violent
take over of these states, for which they have now directed their arsenals particularly on Akwa-Ibom state.
“Nigerians are all witnesses to volatile outbursts by the Buhari Campaign Organization and APC leaders and their use of violent images and outright threats of war on Akwa-Ibom state.
“Nigerians are invited to recall the violent and ominous outburst by the former Governor of Akwa-Ibom state, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who vowed
that the APC will take over the state the same way Hitler overran Poland, swearing that “war shall see Warsaw and Warsaw shall see war” in Akwa-Ibom state.
“Given that this statement is the policy of the APC and the Buhari Presidency against Akwa-Ibom and other parts of our nation, where they are not in control, the President, as chief security officer of our nation, never issued a reprimand nor has Senator Akpabio been pulled in for questioning by security agencies.
“It is now clear that the statement is an approved prelude of a pre-meditated plot by the Buhari Presidency and the APC to initiate, facilitate and superintend a mayhem and bloodletting in the peaceful and developing Akwa-Ibom, irrespective of the huge human and material damage such could cause in the state.
“Part of the plot is the forceful attempt to take over control of the Akwa-Ibom state legislature, for which the Presidency and the APC have been sponsoring the invasion of the House of Assembly complex and seeking ways to violently oust the duly elected leadership of the state assembly
“Only recently, the factional National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, who has been under fire over allegations of corruption, threatened and directly accused the erstwhile Akwa-Ibom Commissioner of Police, John Abang of refusing to carry out APC’s orders to provide security cover that will enable three legally sacked members of the 26-member legislature to effect a change of leadership.
“The PDP has information of how the APC hierarchy thereafter, ordered the Inspector General of Police, who in compliance, summarily redeployed CP John Abang and replaced him with a new CP, Hyelasinda Musa Kimo. It is needless to say that Mr. Abang spent just one month as CP and had to be removed for not carrying out APC’s atrocious directive.
“Since the arrival of CP Kimo, there has been mounting tension and escalated siege mentality in Akwa-Ibom state, particularly in the state legislature where thugs, backed by the police, have been invading the premises, disrupting legislative activities, harassing staff members and hindering them from performing their responsibilities.
“This recourse to self-help, against declarative judgment by competent court of jurisdiction sacking the three lawmakers, is a deliberate attempt to instigate violence, foist a reign of terror, cause confusion, create an impression that the state has become ungovernable. This is with a view to opening the way for a declaration of a state of emergency, which will enable them dismantle all democratic structures and forcefully take over control of the state.
“The PDP wants the Buhari Presidency and the APC to bear in mind that their plot to forcefully take over Akwa-Ibom or any other PDP-controlled
state will be firmly resisted by the people of those states and such may lead to a crisis of unprecedented magnitude that has the capacity of truncating our hard-earned democracy.
“This is because the people of Akwa-Ibom state will never allow anybody, no matter how highly placed, to overrun their state or in any way attempt to foist an undemocratic leadership over them and no amount of intimidation or force will make them change this resolve.
“The PDP therefore charges President Buhari and the APC to be ready to take full responsibility for any breakdown of law and order as direct
consequences of the people’s resistance to their plot to forcefully take over control of Akwa-Ibom or any of the PDP-controlled states.”