Akwa Ibom Pdp Cries Out Over Dss Harassment

The ruling People’s Democratic Party in Akwa Ibom state has raised alarm over what they described as constant harassment of its members by operatives of Department of State Services at the venue of election petition tribunal sitting in Abuja.

Akwa Ibom Pdp Cries Out Over Dss Harassment

Governor Udom Emmanuel

Leadership reported that the state PDP chairman, Paul Ekpo, in a statement released to newsmen said the party would resist any attempt by DSS to cowed it members out of their constitutional rights.

Paul said: “We wish to use this opportunity to alert the nation and the international community about the undisguised display of partisanship by the agents of the State Security Service at the election tribunal currently sitting in Abuja. Our members and agents have been hounded, harassed, and threatened by agents of the State Security Service.

“The Resident Electoral Commissioner has been equally hounded and unfairly singled out for interrogation. We want to put it on record that what the opposition is doing in Akwa Ibom and Rivers states is against the spirit, ethos and values of democratic norms and traditions.

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“Nigeria is not a one-party state and any attempt by the opposition to use the state security to subvert the will of the good people of Akwa Ibom State as expressly given on March 28 and April 11 respectively will be resisted squarely.”


The chairman queried why Akwa Ibom and Rivers states are being singled out by the DSS for scrutiny. He added there were clear cases of under-aged voters in the north noting that DSS did not investigate a single person or made any arrest.

Paul pointed out that there were clear cases of election malpractice in the North which is well documented, wondering why the security agencies are turning blind eyes to this.

“Just yesterday, (Sunday, July 26, ) the APC gubernatorial candidate in the last governorship election in the state- Obong Umana Umana brought trailer-loads of thugs to the venue of the tribunal and harassed our members which is a clear violation of the rules of engagement at the tribunal,” he said.


The chairman warned that the people would not fall to any move by the opposition in the state to denied them of their rights to choose leaders of their choice.

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“The APC has been floundering at the tribunal and are looking for whatever clutch they can hold on to. Their paid witnesses last week, thoroughly weakened their case when they spoke the truth and kept peace with their conscience and creator by puncturing the central narrative of the APC which they have been alleging that there was no election in Akwa Ibom State. The APC witnesses one after the other contradicted the central plank of their argument by stating that there was indeed election in the state, and that they themselves, had participated freely in the exercise,” he said.