‘Akpabio Responsible For Akwa Ibom Crises’ – Governor Udom

Udom Emmanuel, governor of Akwa Ibom State, has accused his predecessor, Godswill Akpabio, of being among the mastermind of the crises recently witnessed in the State.

Mr Emmanuel made the accusation after disrupting alleged moves by some lawmakers of the state who belonged to the All Progressive Congress (APC) to impeach him.

The position of the governor confirms an earlier position held by a young lawyer from the state wherein the legal practitioner noted that the recent development at the State House of Assembly was in the interest of the people.

Trouble started last week when Onofiok Luke, Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly (AKHA) declared the seats of some legislators vacant while banking on a court order from a High Court in the State.

The declaration led to a protest by alleged supporters of the APC lawmakers who were barred from the assembly complex while an appeal of the judgment had been filed at the Court of Appeal.

When the speaker and his colleagues left the chamber, the sacked lawmakers numbering about five who belonged to the APC gained access into the assembly complex and declared Mr Luke impeached.

To curtail further attacks, the Commissioner of Police in the State was removed and replaced with security operatives sealing off the complex.

On Tuesday a new twist was added to it when the APC lawmakers reportedly gained access to the assembly chamber and were said to have commenced the process of impeaching the governor.

On noticing the alleged moves to oust him, Emmanuel who led the speaker and some of their PDP supporters stormed the legislative arm of government and chased away the impeachment planners who took to their heels on sighting the crowd approaching them.

Accusing his predecessor of spearheading the plot, the governor said the planners were out to disrupt the peace being enjoyed in the state since he took over.

Although no name was mentioned, POLITICS TIMES can authoritatively report that Emmanuel was referring to Akpabio.

Messrs Emmanuel and Akpabio fell out politically after the former took over as governor. Akpabio who is now a Senator at the Senate dumped the PDP for the APC months ago.

The lawmaker served as Commissioner before becoming the State governor, all under the platform of the PDP.

He was elected Senator on the same platform before he decamped to the ruling party.

“The mastermind of this crises include, people that this state gave the opportunity to become what they never dreamt they could become,” Emmanuel said during a press conference.

“People that other people gave the opportunity to become a commissioner for 6 years & a Governor for 8 years making it 14 years,” he added.

The governor who said the Police who are supposed to be apolitical in the country now belonged to the ruling party.

“This is the first time where the entire Police structure belongs to a Political Party, but since we don’t have the police, we don’t have anything apart from God and Our People.

“Akwa Ibom is the most peaceful state in our country, Nigeria. We maintain all oil installations so that money could be gotten out of here and be sent to Abuja for peace to be maintained,” the governor added.