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- Tells Gov Umo to tame his supporters
From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA) has decried what it called ‘political persecution’ meted to the 2023 governorship candidate of the Young Progressive Party (YPP) Bassey Albert, for challenging the outcome of the Akwa Ibom State poll.
HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement on Monday, told Governor Umo Eno, to call his overzealous supporters to order, whom he said were fond of attacking witnesses in court.
Onwubiko said the state administration must respect the pluralism of political opinions and the rights of political opponents to challenge the outcome of an election at the Petitions Tribunal without being intimidated.
He warned that the masses would revolt against the state government should anything untoward happens to Senator Bassey and his witnesses.
He said: “There is video evidence of the oppressive regime ongoing in Akwa Ibom state under the watch of Governor Umo Eno.
“Just on June 20, 2023, Senator Albert’s witness was harassed by alleged state-sponsored thugs and security agents at the Tribunal at the State Judiciary Complex, Uyo, meters from the Government House and almost opposite a police division.
“It is ironic that the police stormed the venue and wanted to arrest Senator Albert’s witness against the governor. This is shameful and the Nigeria Police Force should be most ashamed.
“The YPP candidate, as part of his petitions at the tribunal, tendered the academic credentials of the PDP candidate from the University of Uyo to advance his allegation that he (Eno) was kicked out of the university over alleged fake school certificates but gunshots and heavily armed presence were used by the governor to intimidate the witness.
“This is broad-day oppression in a democratic setting and this kind of tyrannical behaviour has no place in our civilized world.
“The YPP has already written a petition to the Department of State Services on the matter and the apparent threat to the life of Senator Albert.
“Senator Albert is a victim of political persecution by the PDP-led Akwa Ibom State Government.
“His contrived prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over vehicles he was given which is deemed as money laundering is a frame-up allegation contrived by the EFCC office in Uyo controlled by the office of the governor.
“Approaching the court to demand his sacking because he dumped the PDP for the YPP when the former shunned democracy and hijacked the governorship ticket for the highest bidder and install his stooge in the person of Eno is also nothing but political witch-hunt by the PDP.
“We call for an end to this political persecution for whatever reason and ask that the state administration respects pluralism of political opinions.
“Also, part of the persecution is the spreading of fake news about the Appeal Court’s verdict in which journalists allegedly working for Akwa Ibom governor misreported that the court ordered his re-arrest when the contrary is the case as can be seen from the enrolled order of the Court of Appeal.
“The PDP in Akwa Ibom state has used the judiciary, the police and all other state instruments to persecute Senator Albert and this must stop forthwith.”
