Akpabio, Buhari’s aide speak on assassination attempt on APC governorship candidate, Ekere

Senator Godswill Akpabio has reacted to the assassination attempt on the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Akwa Ibom State, Nsima Ekere.

Ekere escaped gunshots attack at his residence in Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo, in the early morning of Wednesday.

It was gathered that Ekere was meeting party leaders in the nearby residence of the Managing Director of the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority, Mr Umana Umana, when the bullet was fired into his upstairs bedroom where his wife and sister were at the time.

Following a distress call from his wife, Ekere, accompanied by party leaders, rushed home to the scene of the incident.

The scene was subsequently cordoned off and the expended bullet taken away by security agents following the visit of the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi, and some personnel from the Police and Department of State Security.

Speaking on the incident, Akpabio in a short statement recalled the attack on his residence, saying the assassination attempt on Ekere was a panicky measure to intimidate the APC which is heading for victory in the state.

“Now, it is very clear that this is an orchestrated attempt to intimidate the APC. When they say that APC is in opposition, I disagree.

“If we were in opposition before, now with the influx of Akwa Ibom people into APC in the last one and a half months, I can tell you that the APC is actually the majority party in Akwa Ibom State. What is happening is a panicky measure,” Akpabio said.

The Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang also condemned the action.

He accused the present administration of using this as a ploy to threaten Ekere ahead of the 2019 election.

Enang said: “We will not be threatened to back down on the decision to sweep Udom Emmanuel’s PDP Government out of Akwa Ibom State in the next election and to elect Obong Nsima Ekere as our Governor in 2019 because no matter the threats and antics, the people of Akwa Ibom State are determined.”