Joe Effiong, Uyo

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has lashed out at All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom Ibom State for showing lack of respect to the traditional institution in the state.

The royal fathers through the Akwa Ibom State Traditional Rulers Council, had advised political office seekers, especially petitioners at the election tribunals, to be civil in their approach to electioneering instead of using the media to heat up the polity which could lead to a breakdown of law and order.

But the APC in its press release titled: No! Our Royal Fathers, please no! signed by its publicity secretary in the state, Mr Nkereuwem Enyongekere, had told the traditional institution made up of first class monarchs in the state, to steer clear of comments the party considered politically-partisan as doing so has made them (royal fathers) to constitute “themselves into a trado-political tribunal whose verdict as captured in their publication is neither based on facts, law or good conscience.”

However, the PDP considered the release by the APC an insolence to the traditional institution and in a press statement titled: Deception and Insolence: APC’s Nicene Creed and Mandarin Jacket signed by its publicity secretary, Mr Ini Ememobong, said the admonition by the traditional fathers was made in utmost good faith, to caution the APC and their leaders from further sponsoring media campaigns against the governor.

“The statement was not to dissuade them from continuing in their potentially fruitless legal circumambulation, but to caution against baseless, unsubstantiated and very shameless accusations against the governor, INEC, religious leaders etc. The APC through their leadership has accused almost anybody and anything within sight as being instrumental to their electoral loss.

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“These allegations, when heard, tend to reduce the intellectual standing of the average Akwa Ibom citizen in the estimation of rational people. In fact the leadership of the APC in the state and their candidates had since become examples of disgraceful political misadventure”

The PDP wondered how the royal fathers’ appeal for cessation of media hostilities can be said to be out of tune with neutrality when APC during electioneering was known to have conscripted some village and clan heads into their campaign trail.

“They have forgotten that they jubilantly posted videos and news of some paramount rulers who openly endorsed their candidates. By their action they have reinforced our speculation that the APC leadership in the state is suffering from chronic selective amnesia.

“The APC, in and out of the tribunal has been the synonym of confusion, befuddlement and stupefaction. They have adopted doublespeak, flip flop and scenario-creation as a strategy, but unfortunately, available results show that it has been a bad strategy.

“We apologise to our revered royal fathers for the unmerited insults hurled at them by people who strenuously tried to gain their support through financial inducements, devilish political horse trading and threats. Having played God and lost favour with men, they are irredeemably pained and have found comfort in spewing shameless lies and exhibiting irreverent behaviour. The Akwa Ibom public is well aware of their atrocious disposition and can therefore not take them seriously.

“Our traditional rulers as custodians of our customs, values and traditions must be respected and they have a right to intervene when situations arise that can bring disrepute to our corporate identity and threaten our peaceful existence,” the PDP said.