A’Ibom replies YPP No incident of state-sponsored violence.

The Akwa Ibom State Government claims that for the past seven and a half years of the current administration, no instances of state-sponsored violence have been reported. Therefore, it gave residents and people the assurance that anyone who brought political unrest of any kind to the state would face the full force of the law from the Peoples Democratic Peoples-led administration. The state administration was responding to recent accusations made by Emem Akpabio, the state chairman of the Young Progressives Party Campaign Council, who claimed that the state government was planning to attack the party.

The State Government compared the YPP's alarm to "a murderer who is always afraid of someone walking behind him with a machete" in a statement signed by the state commissioner for information and strategy, Ini Ememobong, and provided to our correspondent in Uyo on Wednesday.

The government noted that, in a previous statement, it had only hinted at planned disturbances by politicians from opposition parties without specifically naming any of them.

Therefore, the statement expressed disbelief that the YPP would bring up the subject without making any mention of it.

We had implied that the planned unrest was supported by politicians from opposing parties without specifically naming any of them, according to part of the statement. But the guilty are always terrified, as always. It is not odd that this attitude of self-identification exists.


“We recall that in 2019, when the State Government criminalised cultism, their candidate, without any direct accusation, took it personal and went on to admit to being ‘a cultist’.
”This attitude of theirs is consistent with the age-long African maxims that ‘old women are uncomfortable when dry bones are mentioned’ and ‘a murderer is always afraid of someone walking behind him with a machete’.
“Let us assure their party that in the more than seven and a half years of this administration, there has been no incident of state-sponsored violence, and, therefore, the citizens and security operatives are well aware that this administration cannot stoop as low as that.
“Rather, they recall the prime actors and masterminds of the Ikot Ekpene massacre, where Senator John James Udoedeghe escaped by the whiskers and the assassination attempt on Senator Helen Esuene at Ukana, Essien Udim.
“We assure them that this administration will not bow to the forces of karma to serve them their meal in their plate. Even from the tone of their response, fair-minded persons will perceive their culpability and the very weak attempt by the guilty to feign innocence. Like a net entanglement, the harder they tried to free themselves, the more guilty they became.
“We, therefore, reassure the entire citizens and residents of Akwa Ibom state that the State Government in partnership with security agents will continue to exercise their constitutional responsibility of ensuring the security of lives and property and whosoever in found culpable of any crime will be made to face the full wrath of the law, irrespective of the political party affiliation or status. The prevailing peace in Akwa Ibom State must be sustained.”