In the wake of swirling allegations that the Honourable Minister of Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio was unleashing violence in the much vaunted Essien Udim rerun elections which formal withdrawal was already duly announced and in public space, I decided to visit the residence of the Minister in Uyo; first to ascertain his whereabout and to investigate whether he has a hand in any purported violence as alleged by media hirelings who are working for certain known persons.
I was shocked to realise that the former Minority Leader as at 2 o’clock on the day of the said elections had not come down from his one storey house, not to talk of stepping out of his compound to anywhere whatsoever. How then was he able to organise thugs,seize materials from unit 5 and unleash violence on the people and the process .
It is unfortunate that seasoned journalists who should know better have perhaps prompted by paltry lucre joined this nauseating perfidy. Some have gone to the ridiculous extent of choreographing videos and circulating them as physical evidence alleging or depicting mayhem. All of these are contrived to discredit Senator Akpabio and make him look odious before right thinking people.
But what do Akwa Ibom people who are the masterminds of this unwholesome acts stand to gain? Nothing more than the satiation of the bile instinct of hate nursed and nurtured by envy. Akpabio was not on the ballot for the rerun but his name has been touted for all the wrong reasons. He has been a victim of monumental falsehood and malignant lies intended to bring him into disrepute. How sad indeed!
We should not lose sight of the fact that there is always a relationship after politics. In the regard , we must not drive a brother to the brink to score a political point or win election. We must always leave room for reconciliation. But the deeper the cut, the more complex and intractable the possibility of face mending. I urge us to be circumspect and recall that this same Akpabio we take turns to villify and serenade with falsehood was once our beautiful bride.
Joe Iniodu is a public affairs analyst.
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