Akwa Ibom Mayhem: Governor Akpabio Clamps Down On Opposition.

Governor Godswill Akpabio

Akwa Ibom State is in danger of turning into a theater for more political violence as Governor Godswill Akpabio of the PDP continues to make moves to muzzle the growing opposition to his abuses.

Two days ago, the state exploded in widespread arson, destruction and shooting when thugs hired by Mr. Akpabio attempted to disperse a rally by the governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

Following the violence, the Goodluck Jonathan regime issued a blanket shoot-on-site order aimed at bolstering Governor Akpabio and intimidating the opposition with federal might.

Our sources in Akwa Ibom said that Mr. Akpabio, emboldened by the federal government’s order, has embarked on a fresh witchhunt of his opponents. Earlier today, the Akwa Ibom police command arrested Senator Akpan Udoedeghe, the governorship candidate of the ACN. Mr. Udoedeghe is seen as the main threat to Governor Akpabio whose tenure has been marked by massive looting of state resources. The ACN candidate was picked up in Uyo and flown to Abuja where Inspector General Hafis Ringim is personally handling his case.


Mr. Akpabio recently engineered the removal of the police commissioner in the state to enable him to clamp down on the opposition in the state. Mr. Akpabio acts as Jonathan’s campaign coordinator in the South South region.

Top opposition members in the state have cried foul about the ongoing crackdown targeted at them. “I believe that the crisis that saw the destruction of properties in the state was precipitated by Governor Akpabio to enable him [to] take out his opponents from the elections,” said a top ACN politician in the state.

Governor Alao Akala of Oyo State earlier implemented the strategy of using the police to harass opposition candidates.

Mr. Akala connived with the police in the state to charge his PDP primary opponent, Senator Teslim Folarin, with killing Alhaji Lateef Salako aka Eleweomo one of Akala’s thugs and a member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers. Opposition candidates in Benue State accuse Governor Suswam of employing similar tactics to intimidate and hamstring his opponents.

Like Akpabio, Akala and Suswam are reputed to be some of the most corrupt governors in Nigeria.