In
April, 2010, a young Nigerian, Mr. Iniekong Udonwa who was living his
life as a successful entrepreneur in Singapore relocated to his home
state of Akwa Ibom, Nigeria, to run for the governor of the state. The
election was scheduled for 2011. With Mr. Udonwa’s international
connections and his acceptability by the political and business class
back home in Nigeria, his entry into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
governorship primaries for the 2011 election in Akwa Ibom state caused
uneasiness among PDP leaders in the state who were scared of an
‘outsider’ taking over political power from them. Udonwa was contesting
against Governor Godswill Akpabio who at that time was seeking for
re-election as the governor of Akwa Ibom State. On May 12, 2010, Udonwa
was brutally attacked at his home in Akwa Ibom. Although wounded by
gunshots, he was fortunate to escape. Udonwa’s assailants however
adducted and later killed his 69-year-old mother, Mrs. Philomena Udonwa,
and dumped her body by the road side.
Saharareporters, a respectable investigative online newspaper based in the U.S reported that “Iniekong Udonwa had been asked to forget his governorship ambition or have his mother killed.” (Please click here to read the full story as reported by Saharareporters.)
Expectedly, Mr. Iniekong Udonwa abandoned his governorship aspirations, hurried back to Singapore and hasn’t returned to Nigeria since the incident. Till date, the administration of Governor Godswill Akpabio which ends on May 29, 2015 is yet to inform the public on what information they have about the brutal attack on Udonwa and his family. No single person have been questioned, arrested or charged for the crime.
From 2009 to 2011, close to a hundred persons were maimed, kidnapped or murdered in Akwa Ibom State because of the 2011 governorship election in the state (Please click here, to see list of victims). It is believed that most of the killings were sponsored by the state under the administration of Governor Godswill Akpabio, to instill fear into the populace and frightened Akpabio’s political opponents from contesting against him.
In July, 2014, Mr. Akpabio again explored the fear factor, as part of the build-up towards the just concluded April 11, 2015 governorship election in Akwa Ibom State, by publicly threatening that “those who want to take power through the backdoor will die”(Click here, to read more). What Akpabio meant was that anyone who wanted to win election in Akwa Ibom State without his blessings would die. On September 21, 2014, Mr. Akpabio further raised the tension level in Akwa Ibom State by publicly inciting the youth against opposition politicians and elders in the state. “I say rise up and protect your future… Your fathers have done their bids, don’t look at them. It is time to do positive rebellion,” Akpabio told the youths (Click here, to listen to audio).
On March 18, 2015, some local thugs in Ukanafun Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, responded to Governor Akpabio’s call for ‘positive rebellion’; led by the vice chairman of Ukanafun Local Government Area, Mr. Effiom Abai who is of the same ruling political party with Governor Akpabio, the thugs attacked and killed Mr. Okon Uwah, a former deputy speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly who until his death was the All Progressives Congress candidate for the April 11, 2015 House of Assembly election in the area. (Click here, to read about the murder of Okon Uwah).
Governor Godswill Akpabio had always wanted to become a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, after completing his second term in office as the governor of Akwa Ibom State. But such ambition was strongly opposed by one PDP politician, Mr. Albert Ukpanah who reasoned that it was the turn of the local community where he (Ukpanah) comes from to produce a senator for their senatorial district. Like the fate that befell those who in the past stood up against Governor Akpabio, Mr. Albert Ukpanah was brutally murdered in his home at Abak Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, on March 12, 2014 by some gunmen suspected to be hired assassins. The police in its official report described Ukpanah’s assassination as being ‘politically motivated’. But the state turned around to frame up the only son of the assassinated Ukpanah, Mr. Odudu Ukpanah for the murder of his father. Mr. Odudu Ukpanah was thrown into detention for 11 months without trial, and was only able to secure a bail for his release on April 16, 2015 after Governor Akpabio ‘won’ the senate election on March 28, 2015.
We are aware that the political salvation of a people may sometimes not necessarily come from the people themselves; it may come from people from another nation(s). And in this regard, we acknowledge the role the United States, Britain and other western countries have played in the building and sustenance of democracy in Africa. But the United States and other countries need to do more to promote democracy in Africa by providing the needed checks against evil-minded local tyrants who hide under civilian regimes to commit atrocities against their people. Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria under the administration of Governor Godswill Akpabio is a clear example of a terrible situation that calls for urgent intervention.
During the just concluded presidential, governorship, national and state assemblies’ elections in Nigeria, Governor Godswill Akpabio and his aides planned and executed the worst form of rigging in Nigeria’s political history, in a bid to sustain their personal and selfish interests in government. State-sponsored thugs wearing fake police uniform stormed various polling centres across Akwa Ibom State, firing gunshots into the air, while hijacking ballot materials. Some voters and agents of the main opposition political party, APC, were either wounded or killed from gunshots. Even the U.S Embassy in Nigeria that monitored the elections in Akwa Ibom State raised its concern over the rigging of the April 11, 2015 governorship and House of Assembly elections in Akwa Ibom State (Please click here, to read about the position of the U.S Embassy in Nigeria on the Akwa Ibom governorship election).
(Please you can also click here to see pictures and videos of the rigging and violence that took place during April 11, 2015 governorship election in Akwa Ibom State. We must however warn that some of the pictures are graphics.)
We hereby refer to the statement made by the U.S Secretary of State before the commencement of elections in Nigeria, that the U.S government would apply sanctions against politicians in Nigeria who instigate rigging or violence during the elections.
Please we request that the U.S government investigate the involvement of Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State in the massive rigging, violence and killings that occurred during the April 11, 2015 governorship and House of Assembly elections in Akwa Ibom State and apply appropriate sanctions against him.
We also request that the U.S government investigate the following public officers who connived with Governor Godswill Akpabio to subvert the wishes of the people and also caused the killings of many persons during the said elections: Mr. Gabriel Achong, the Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State; Mr. Udom Emmanuel, the governorship candidate of PDP in the blood tainted election; Mr. Paul Ekpo, the Akwa Ibom State Chairman of PDP; Mr. Austine Eni Okojie, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Akwa Ibom State; Mr. Uwem Ita Etuk, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Akwa Ibom State; Mr. Emmanuel Enoidem, Commissioner for Housing & Urban Development, Akwa Ibom State.
We are moved to initiate this petition against Governor Godswill Akpabio and his accomplices because of the destruction of innocent lives who merely went out to exercise their right to vote for leaders of their choice, and the massive rigging that marred the April 11, 2015 elections in Akwa Ibom State. We view the criminal justice system in Nigeria as being too weak and unreliable to look into this case.
The success of this petition will help send a timely signal to local tyrants in Nigeria like Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State that their actions are being watched by people all over the world, and this could deter them from using their offices to kill innocent and helpless citizens or brazenly subverting the wishes of the people during elections. If the people are allowed to freely choose their leaders in Akwa Ibom State and other parts of Nigeria, the country will definitely experience political stability and economic prosperity that would positively affect the entire West African sub-region.
We are therefore appealing to everyone that is reading this public petition to help sign it, for the sake of a free, better and prosperous Nigeria.
Mr. Anthony Bassey,
Co-ordinator, Committee for Political Freedom & Responsibility, Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria
Saharareporters, a respectable investigative online newspaper based in the U.S reported that “Iniekong Udonwa had been asked to forget his governorship ambition or have his mother killed.” (Please click here to read the full story as reported by Saharareporters.)
Expectedly, Mr. Iniekong Udonwa abandoned his governorship aspirations, hurried back to Singapore and hasn’t returned to Nigeria since the incident. Till date, the administration of Governor Godswill Akpabio which ends on May 29, 2015 is yet to inform the public on what information they have about the brutal attack on Udonwa and his family. No single person have been questioned, arrested or charged for the crime.
From 2009 to 2011, close to a hundred persons were maimed, kidnapped or murdered in Akwa Ibom State because of the 2011 governorship election in the state (Please click here, to see list of victims). It is believed that most of the killings were sponsored by the state under the administration of Governor Godswill Akpabio, to instill fear into the populace and frightened Akpabio’s political opponents from contesting against him.
In July, 2014, Mr. Akpabio again explored the fear factor, as part of the build-up towards the just concluded April 11, 2015 governorship election in Akwa Ibom State, by publicly threatening that “those who want to take power through the backdoor will die”(Click here, to read more). What Akpabio meant was that anyone who wanted to win election in Akwa Ibom State without his blessings would die. On September 21, 2014, Mr. Akpabio further raised the tension level in Akwa Ibom State by publicly inciting the youth against opposition politicians and elders in the state. “I say rise up and protect your future… Your fathers have done their bids, don’t look at them. It is time to do positive rebellion,” Akpabio told the youths (Click here, to listen to audio).
On March 18, 2015, some local thugs in Ukanafun Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, responded to Governor Akpabio’s call for ‘positive rebellion’; led by the vice chairman of Ukanafun Local Government Area, Mr. Effiom Abai who is of the same ruling political party with Governor Akpabio, the thugs attacked and killed Mr. Okon Uwah, a former deputy speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly who until his death was the All Progressives Congress candidate for the April 11, 2015 House of Assembly election in the area. (Click here, to read about the murder of Okon Uwah).
Governor Godswill Akpabio had always wanted to become a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, after completing his second term in office as the governor of Akwa Ibom State. But such ambition was strongly opposed by one PDP politician, Mr. Albert Ukpanah who reasoned that it was the turn of the local community where he (Ukpanah) comes from to produce a senator for their senatorial district. Like the fate that befell those who in the past stood up against Governor Akpabio, Mr. Albert Ukpanah was brutally murdered in his home at Abak Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, on March 12, 2014 by some gunmen suspected to be hired assassins. The police in its official report described Ukpanah’s assassination as being ‘politically motivated’. But the state turned around to frame up the only son of the assassinated Ukpanah, Mr. Odudu Ukpanah for the murder of his father. Mr. Odudu Ukpanah was thrown into detention for 11 months without trial, and was only able to secure a bail for his release on April 16, 2015 after Governor Akpabio ‘won’ the senate election on March 28, 2015.
We are aware that the political salvation of a people may sometimes not necessarily come from the people themselves; it may come from people from another nation(s). And in this regard, we acknowledge the role the United States, Britain and other western countries have played in the building and sustenance of democracy in Africa. But the United States and other countries need to do more to promote democracy in Africa by providing the needed checks against evil-minded local tyrants who hide under civilian regimes to commit atrocities against their people. Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria under the administration of Governor Godswill Akpabio is a clear example of a terrible situation that calls for urgent intervention.
During the just concluded presidential, governorship, national and state assemblies’ elections in Nigeria, Governor Godswill Akpabio and his aides planned and executed the worst form of rigging in Nigeria’s political history, in a bid to sustain their personal and selfish interests in government. State-sponsored thugs wearing fake police uniform stormed various polling centres across Akwa Ibom State, firing gunshots into the air, while hijacking ballot materials. Some voters and agents of the main opposition political party, APC, were either wounded or killed from gunshots. Even the U.S Embassy in Nigeria that monitored the elections in Akwa Ibom State raised its concern over the rigging of the April 11, 2015 governorship and House of Assembly elections in Akwa Ibom State (Please click here, to read about the position of the U.S Embassy in Nigeria on the Akwa Ibom governorship election).
(Please you can also click here to see pictures and videos of the rigging and violence that took place during April 11, 2015 governorship election in Akwa Ibom State. We must however warn that some of the pictures are graphics.)
We hereby refer to the statement made by the U.S Secretary of State before the commencement of elections in Nigeria, that the U.S government would apply sanctions against politicians in Nigeria who instigate rigging or violence during the elections.
Please we request that the U.S government investigate the involvement of Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State in the massive rigging, violence and killings that occurred during the April 11, 2015 governorship and House of Assembly elections in Akwa Ibom State and apply appropriate sanctions against him.
We also request that the U.S government investigate the following public officers who connived with Governor Godswill Akpabio to subvert the wishes of the people and also caused the killings of many persons during the said elections: Mr. Gabriel Achong, the Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State; Mr. Udom Emmanuel, the governorship candidate of PDP in the blood tainted election; Mr. Paul Ekpo, the Akwa Ibom State Chairman of PDP; Mr. Austine Eni Okojie, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Akwa Ibom State; Mr. Uwem Ita Etuk, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Akwa Ibom State; Mr. Emmanuel Enoidem, Commissioner for Housing & Urban Development, Akwa Ibom State.
We are moved to initiate this petition against Governor Godswill Akpabio and his accomplices because of the destruction of innocent lives who merely went out to exercise their right to vote for leaders of their choice, and the massive rigging that marred the April 11, 2015 elections in Akwa Ibom State. We view the criminal justice system in Nigeria as being too weak and unreliable to look into this case.
The success of this petition will help send a timely signal to local tyrants in Nigeria like Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State that their actions are being watched by people all over the world, and this could deter them from using their offices to kill innocent and helpless citizens or brazenly subverting the wishes of the people during elections. If the people are allowed to freely choose their leaders in Akwa Ibom State and other parts of Nigeria, the country will definitely experience political stability and economic prosperity that would positively affect the entire West African sub-region.
We are therefore appealing to everyone that is reading this public petition to help sign it, for the sake of a free, better and prosperous Nigeria.
Mr. Anthony Bassey,
Co-ordinator, Committee for Political Freedom & Responsibility, Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria
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