PDP accuses APC of hiring thugs to disrupt Akwa Ibom guber poll

The Divine Mandate Campaign Organisation has accused Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), of importing thugs from Edo to disrupt the forthcoming governorship election in Akwa Ibom state.

In a statement on Wednesday, Otuekong Ibiok, spokesperson of the campaign organisation for the re-election of Udom Emmanuel, the governor, alleged that the thugs were on assignment to “exterminate” senior officials of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and supporters of the governor.

He said politicians in the APC are desperate to grab power in the state at all cost.

Ibiok asked security operatives in the state to conduct investigations into the matter and arrest the people involved.

“The recent alarming rate of desperate moves to import thugs and hoodlums into Akwa Ibom state has become very worrisome,” he said.

“We have noticed that in the last 24 hours, there has been an increase in the influx of strangers in huge numbers into our state allegedly to do the bidding of the desperate politicians in the ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS(APC).

“We have it on good authority that earlier on Tuesday afternoon, several buses of political thugs which were intercepted by security agents in Obot Akara, as well as those arrested in a popular hotel along Udo Udoma Avenue in Uyo the state capital, were brought in by top APC leaders with the sole aim of exterminating senior PDP officials and supporters of Governor Udom Emmanuel.

“Is it not shameful that less than 24 hours after the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the National Chairman of the APC Adam Oshiomhole stood in Uyo to announce that APC must capture Akwa Ibom State at all cost? We are aware that the resort to importing these political thugs from Edo state through the connivance of Adam Oshiomhole and Mr Nsima Ekere, stems from the fact that Edo state is not taking part in the gubernatorial election, and as such ‘the boys’ are available.

“To this end, we want to join our voices to condemn in very strong terms the importation of militants, thugs and blood thirsty rogues into this state with the aim of causing mayhem and bloodbath in our otherwise very peaceful state.”