C'river state youth condemns the intimidation on Atiku by security agencies

|13 November 2018 |Ukorebi Esien



A political support group for the election and re-election bid of Alhaji Atiku Abubaka and Sen Prof. Ben Ayade as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Governor of Cross River State respectively, known as Cross River Youth For Ayade and Atiku (CRYFAA) have in very strong terms condemned the actions of security agencies reported to have mounted a security search on the private jet and the person of the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubaka on his way back from Dubai at the Abuja international airport.

Speaking in a telephone conversation, Arch, Erik Akpo, the CEO of CRYFAA said the act of searching their principal was not only intimidating but an act capable of truncating the nation's democracy as it wasn't democratic both in principles and practice.

Arch Akpo who described Atiku Abubaka as "the sure incoming president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria" whom ...the whole country is looking up to clean up the mess the country has been thrown into, wondered why such an inhumane action will be merted on him as he sought for justification of such an act by the security agencies. 

Further more, comrade Akpo, warned that any further act of intimidation will be fully resisted by Nigeria Youths especially during the 2019 general elections, as he hinted that his group is working tirelessly to ensure Atiku's victory at the polls come 2019.

The statement reads in full:

First of all I want to say that the Youths of Cross River State and the entire members of Cross River Youths For Ayade and Atiku, CRYFAA condemns the act of intimidation on our principal and the presidential candidate of the PDP, his excellency Alhaji Atiku Abubaka at the airport. 

The search of his aircraft and his belongings by security men at the airport in Abuja shows a total disregard and total disrespect for  the rule of law.

How can you subject the presidential candidate of a party, the presidential hopeful of the people, the sure incoming president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria into such disrespect after all attempt to smear his name and person and character with all forms of lies and  by Mr. Lia Mohamed?

And after all these have failed you now come to search him? Based on what allegations?  What was the intention of the search? What kind of inhuman treatment was that?

How can you decide to put somebody the whole country is looking up to, to bring out the country from this mess the country has been thrown into? How can you subject such a person through all these?

We can no longer as youths keep quiet and watch all these things happen. We want to say it very emphatically that it should not happen again because we are not going to allow the government of the day to use intimadations, to use security agencies that use weapons bought with tax payers monies to intimidate the will of the people, to intimidate the will of the people. 

Fear was used to cow the people, to chase the PDP supporters away from the elections in Osun state, 

so that they will be able to perfect all the election malpractice that they did and bring out a sham of a result which we have seen as the result of Osun state gubernatorial elections. 

The Youths of Cross River State, infact the Youths of Nigeria as a whole will not allow that can of scenari to replay itself in this 2019 elections. So henceforth we want to make a very sound warning that the APC led government should desist from using intimidation to displace the opposition party. 

We are steadfast and very focused on changing the government of the day we want to reverse the misfortune that the APC has brought upon us. And we will not at any point in time bulge to this, and that there's no form of intimidation, no form of force that will make us shy away from this .

We hope that this will be a message that will go far and wide and will reach the topmost rank amongst the APC.

All lending his voice, the Director General of CRYFAA, Mr. Esuong Uwase Esuong has said that Atiku like every other Nigerian has the fundamental human Right to travel out of the country and come back when ever he wishes without being intimidated just because he is contesting an election.

Mr. Esuong who insisted that the search on the PDP's presidential flag bearer had a political undertone and was arranged from the presidency said the search on Atiku at the Abuja international airport had gone beyond the normal routine security checks due to the number of military men who carried out the search, he emphasized that searching Atiku's personal aircraft, belongings and even to the point of searching his private documents were all pointers to the fact that it wasn't just an ordinary search. 

He further questioned if it was wrong to contest an election against an incumbent while taking us back to 2015 when Buhari was busy travelling up and down without any form of intimidation by the the then incumbent President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. 

The DG who whose expression was filled with anger warned that as we approach the 2019 general elections democracy should prevail in all maters and the people's mandate through their PVC's should not be denied.

Ukorebi Esien blogs for Thedailynewsng where he tells the Nigerian story one article at a time 

Essien Ayi goes though, says NASS can’t be a rubber stamp to anybody, ...Atiku is the only one that can soothe Nigeria

|29 October 2018 | Ukorebi Esien

The Honourable Member representing Akpabuyo/Bakassi/Calabar South(ABC) Federal Constituency at the floor of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Apostle Essien Ekpenyong Ayi has said that the present National Assembly led by Sen. Bukola Saraki has refused to be a rubber stamp in the hands of the Presidency thus the heated attack from the presidency.

Apostle Essien Ayi who expressed this disposition over the weekend while interacting with bloggers and journalists under the auspices of Online Media Practitioners Association of Nigeria (OMPAN), Cross River State Chapter at his residence in Calabar said unlike the current APC members in National Assembly who have allowed themselves to be rubber stamps in the hands of the Presidency, the PDP led national Assembly under David Mark had reasons severally to disagree with President Jonathan and it never affected the proceedings of the house neither did the Presidency besiege the National Assembly.

His words, “When we were PDP controlled National Assembly, we used to disagree with Jonathan (former president), but this one you’ll see a bunch of people who have never seen anything bad in the Buhari presidency because they belong to the same party – if you do like that, then you are not doing the country any good.”

“We don’t want to be a rubber stamp, we want to be a sort of NASS that can stand up and condemn certain policies in the interest of the country and not a rubber stamp.”

He went on to say, “There are certain steps that the president would take and if you feel that those steps are not in the interest of the country, whether you belong to the same party or not, you have to disagree – that is where you have a robust National Assembly.

“At a time, certain legislators from the ruling party became very disgusted, disenchanted – you find the likes of the Senate President, the Speaker leaving the party. There must be something wrong because if the president of the Senate leaves his party, it’s a very big crab. If 15 senators wake up and leave the party of which some are still planning to defect again, if the Speaker leaves the party, then there’s something wrong”, Rt. Hon. Ayi said.

The Lawmaker also said the Buhari presidency was trying to impose presiding officers for the NASS, knowing very well that there are three arms of government.

He said, “First and foremost, we don’t appoint ministers for you, then why do you want to choose presiding officers for us? There are 3 tiers of government, there’s doctrine of separation of powers and if we don’t appoint your ministers, the executive arm is there, the legislative arm is there, why do you now sit and chose who should be Speaker, who should be Senate president? We have to stop those things, let us ourselves choose who we want to lead us

Atiku’s Chances of winning

When asked if he thinks his party the PDP would win the forthcoming presidential elections, he said: “The chances of PDP are very bright due to our choice of choosing a candidate. Atiku has been a former a VP and has resources and exposure, so he is likely to alleviate our suffering.

He continued, “Atiku is the only hope, and he can reverse these things back to normal.”

He lamented the high cost of living in Nigeria despite the bogus promises given to Nigerians by the APC government; he said the only hope for Nigerians present situation is Atiku, 

Rt. Hon. Essien Ayi, said that unfortunately, these changes were brought in by those shouting for change, adding that, “the best alternative to correct these wrongs is Atiku.”

The House of Reps Member said the administration of Buhari has brought in so much suffering to the land and Nigerians need someone like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to alleviate their sufferings.

“There’s too much hardship in the land and we need a positive change. The people who campaigned for change are the people that we need to change. Prices of things are going up and we need to change that, for if we continue like this, then Nigerians may have to start eating stones in the nearest future.”

I never had any agreement with Saviour Nyong

Hon. Essien Ayi went on to clear the air on gray areas as regards the just concluded primary elections where rumors had it that he had promised Hon. Saviour Nyong, a former aspirant for the Akpabuyo/Bakassi/Calabar South National Assembly job in 2015 that he will hand over the baton to him come 2019. The Apostle Vehemently said he never had any such arrangement with anybody and wondered why Nyong contested against him during the 2015 PDP primary and lost, how could he have promised to hand over to him in view of 2019? He argued that if Nyong had then withdrawn from the contest in an understanding of supporting him that would have been appreciated. 

His words, “I'm one person that when I say something I stand by it, I don't dance... 

There's no time I promised Saviour Nyong that I will hand over to him. If you were there in the 2015 primary at Cultural Center, you will know that Saviour was one of the people who contested against me and lost in that primary. So, if I had promised him that I will hand over to him, why did he come and challenge me in the contest? If he had withdrawn and said OK I have withdrawn for you with the understanding that when you are through, I will take over that way... 

“But, ask him, did he withdraw for me? Ask him, did he not contest against me at Cultural Center? How many votes did he get? I have a video clip —he made so much noise then, caused so much trouble, in the end... I never had any agreement like that with him, I never.”

Ukorebi Esien blogs for TDN where he tells the Nigerian story, one article at a time without fear or favour