ATTAH AT 80: POLICE FOIL ATTEMPT BY APC CULTISTS TO RAZE ASSEMBLY COMPLEX

...AKPABIO,  NSIMA EKERE FINGERED

The Police in Uyo have quashed an attempt to burn down the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly by rampaging suspected cultists allegedly sponsored by the All Progressives Congress in the state. 

It was gathered that their plan was to forestall the House from sitting in honour of a former Governor Obong Victor Attah, whose 80th birthday is being celebrated in the state currently. 

The cultists who arrived in several APC buses with campaign banners of Senator Godswill Akpabio and Obong Nsima Ekere, blocked movements into the Assembly complex and set out to start setting it ablaze.

A former member of the Assembly, who was recently outlawed by the Federal High Court,  Idongesit Ituen,  acting in consonance with his leaders Mr Nsima Ekere and  Senator Godswill Akpabio,  mobilized the thugs to foment crises, and stall proceedings. 

Eye witness accounts have it that the thugs were heard charging loudly that without Idongesit Ituen, no one else can make use of the lawmaking complex. 

Earlier today,  the State Chapter of the PDP had issued a statement, based on intelligence report, alerting plans by the APC to use thugs and cause a breach of peace,  thereby stalling proceedings at the chambers. 

It would be recalled that the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Barr.  Onofiok Luke had last week acted in accordance with the judgement of the Federal High Court,  which vacated the seat of the former Itu Assemblyman for cross carpeting to another political party without any tangible reason.

Gov Udom Emmanuel on his part has repeatedly warned politicians against violence,  maintaining that nothing short of peace and unity is needed to move Akwa Ibom forward,  irrespective of political affiliations or aspirations.