“Who Born Dog?”:
That attack on the Speaker of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Aniekan Bassey in Ibiono Ibom
A release by the Akwa Ubok Abasi Campaign Organization, desperately attempting to dissociate its members and principal from the unwarranted attack on the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Aniekan Bassey, during his visit to Ibiono Ibom LGA to consult party stakeholders on his Senate aspiration, Thursday, 10th March 2022, is in circulation.
Without a doubt , the average Akwa Ibomite is well aware of the aspirant in the 2023 governorship race, with a history of violence.
The brigandage in Ibiono Ibom by the members of Akwa Ubok Abasi Campaign Organization was not totally unexpected, given their principal’s predisposition to violence as his preferred style of politics. It is instructive to note that the new slogan of their campaign organization, “Who Born Dog,” which unmistakably connotes violence and threat, was personally introduced into the political lexicon of the state by their principal at a gathering in Eket on Saturday, 5th March 2022.
It is our belief, that fired up by this slogan, his supporters wreaked havoc in their principal’s home local government area last Thursday, March 10, 2022, disrupting the Speaker’s consultation. They audaciously demanded that the Speaker should remove the visor bearing Pastor Umo Eno’s campaign logo, which he adorned, before addressing the PDP statutory delegates of Ibiono Ibom chapter. Of course, the Speaker rightly refused to be intimidated, boldly asserting his right to exercise his constitutionally guaranteed freedom to associate with our campaign.
The Umo Eno Campaign Organization, strongly condemns this dastardly attack and calls on our party the PDP and all right thinking persons to join in condemning the undemocratic behaviour .
We warn that political violence is an ill wind. The mayhem in Ikot Ekpene in 2007, the torching of the state Secretariat and the Goodluck/Sambo campaign office remain low points in our political evolution. We must say Never again to violence.
We, therefore, call on security agencies to investigate the attack, fish out and prosecute the perpetrators to serve as a deterrent to others.
We must end the culture of political violence linked to aspirants with entitlement mentality in the state which informed the propagation of the Maintain Peace Movement (MPM).
No aspirant should be barred from campaigning in any part of Akwa Ibom.
The rhetoric of violence should be shunned by every right thinking person seeking elective office.
We must all commit to sustaining an unfettered democracy for a peaceful Akwa Ibom State.
Election is not by force. Persuasion is the path.
*Prince Chris Abasieyo,*
*Spokesperson, Umo Eno Campaign Organisation.*