A civil society organization operating under aegis of National Youths For Governance has expressed dismay over cases of preelection killings ahead of the governorship and state assembly election in the State calling on those behind the senseless killing to halt to the nefarious act.
Religious leaders, activists and people from the academia who make up the group are particularly worried over the killing of five people during political rally in Obudu, Boki and Etung local government areas of the state.
Speaking with journalists yesterday in Calabar, Acting State Secretary of the group, Ikona Ikona blamed the APC governorship candidate in state, over a viral video where he vowed never to allow Gov Ben Ayade’s appointees and opposition politicians in the state hold any political activities in Etung local government.
“It is so sad that in times like this where leaders from other climes are warning against political thuggery and violence, our supposed leaders in the state seems to have adopted violence as the only too for winning elections”.The group lamented.
In his words, ikona said”As an organization committed to promoting and enhancing good governance in the state and beyond, we have watched with utter dismay how a once peaceful state has been converted in the past few months into a theatre of killings and properties destruction because of the struggle for power. It’s appalling that a state which just recently was regarded as the most peaceful in Nigeria has degenerated into this level”.
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The group cautioned Nigeria politicians not to avoid making inflamatory statements that are capable of leading to out break of violence stressing that recent crisis in Etung which led to loss of lives is not unconnected to a viral video which showed candidate of the APC whom the group alleged made a vow before his numerous supporters that over his “dead body”should he allow Ayade’s appointees as well as opposition politicians to carry out any political activities within the state and its environmentalist.
“Last year, around September during APC governorship rally in Obudu, one Wilson Osang, a PDP member was shot at closed range. This follows another killing of Mr. Gabriel Kibe believed to be a leader of PDP during another APC governorship rally in Boki.
“Recently during a peace accord meeting in Etung, Chairman of PDP in Bendeghe-Ekiem ward, Mr. Ayuk Ogar and Kingsley Tangban were gruesomely murdered. The crisis left many others injured.
The recent crisis in Etung is not unconnected to a viral video of one of the APC governorship candidates, where the candidate vowed that he would stop politicians in the opposition parties and Ayade’s appointees to carry any political activities in the local government”,.
The group which hinted its plans to take legal action against politicians suspected to be behind the violence in the state called on all governorship and house of assembly candidates to call their supporters to order as politics was a game and not war.
The group called on the Nigerian police to carry a thorough investigation into the killings in Etung, Obudu and Boki councils to deter those planning to cause mayhem in the March 9, polls from going ahead with such plans.
“We are by this address calling on the Inspector General of Police, Director General of the State Security Services and the other security agencies to beam their searchlight on activities of politicians in the state as well as investigate the killings and prosecute the culprits accordingly.
“We also called on all the governorship and house of assembly candidates to call their supporters to order as politics is a game and not war”.
In a swift reaction to the allegations that it was the APC guber candidate who was behind mayhem and killings that erupted in Etung LGA, during the national assembly and senate, Spokesperson for Owan Enoh campaign organization Dan Amorous denied the allegations sayin denied the allegation on elections in the state spokesperson for Senator John Owan Enoh
