A Nigerian Senator has been warned against instigating public unrest, inciting the masses against the person and office of the Governor and any unconstitutional act of insurrection that may derail the prevailing peace in the State.

The Ibom Democratic Forum, IDF, stated this in a statement made available to newsmen in Uyo on Tuesday 24 August 2012 According to the press release signed by the group’s President and Secretary, Chief Solomon Andem and Adede Ifiok Asikpo Esq, the group noted with dismay that stoking the fire of division, blackmail, character assassination and violence has been the trademark of Senator Akpan, warning that Akwa Ibom people will no longer tolerate his anti-democratic antics any more.

The statement read in parts, “The recent press statement against the Special Assistant Media to the Governor by Senator Bassey Akpan is just a smokescreen of his agenda for the 2023 battle. We know that the main target in the failed propaganda was the Governor whom he tried to incite the people against. These unjustifiable act capable of derailing the prevailing peace and unity in the State is totally unacceptable and unjustified, very unbecoming of a man who is aspiring to occupy the office of Governor of the state”.

The group warned that the Ibom born Senator is always fond of issuing false alarm whenever an election circle draws near, through the release of baseless and unsubstantiated allegations just to curry favour and Pity from the electorate.

“We recall in 2014, prior to the 2015 election when Senator Bassey Albert raised his usual false alarm against Governor Godswill Akpabio, accusing the then Governor of wanting to kill his elder brother, Ime Albert in order to implicate him. This was him in his usual element all in a desperate bid to whip public sentiment, sympathy and votes, a gimmick that failed even before it began”.

“Senator should realize by now that blackmail, intimidation and threats won’t give him the Governorship ticket and that he cannot stampede or hold the Governor to ransom through falsehood to compel the Governor to endorse him for 2023. If he feels he is popular, then he should be ready to face other candidates in the field at the primaries where he can test his so-called popularity rather than get his proxies in the media to launch needless attacks against the Governor, the Government or appointees of the Governor”.

It could be recalled that Senator had in a press release dates August 21, 2021, titled, “PIB Analysis; Attention Rev Richard Peters”, falsely accused the Media Assistant to the Governor of making very erroneous input as regards the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) recently passed by the 9th Senate and signed into law by President Buhari, while on Air during XL106. 5 Fm breakfast current affairs programme ”Press Club”.

But it turned out Rev Richard Peters, was not even a guest on the radio program and could therefore have made the alleged statement.

The release stated that “In particular, his comment on the current serving House of Representatives Members and Senators was quite disparaging, incoherent, subjective and mostly not based on informed perspectives as he must understand that as against the hoax media claim that the Senators from Akwa Ibom State and indeed South-South Senators were not present to vote during the passage of the bill is NOT true as there is a video evidence of what Distinguished Senator, for instance, said before he voted alongside other Akwa Ibom Senators as the bill was later passed”.

“It is also not factual for him to insinuate that the Senators, especially from Akwa Ibom and indeed South-South Nigeria, did nothing about pushing for an increment of the 3percent benefiting fund for oil-producing communities as he is not in the know of the legislative undercurrent in the Senate before the bill got through especially as regards harmonizing divergent interests. Analysts on the said radio programme must understand that the Senate is a makeup of Nigeria with 109 Distinguished Senators, as such the interest of Nigerian Senate overrides any personal or sectional interest”.

“What is interesting at the moment is the fact that the 9th Senate has succeeded in getting the bill passed and assented to President Buhari after a very long brainstorming session of so many years”.

The statement continued, “Kudos must be given to the 9th Senate joint committee on Petroleum Resources to include: Upstream, Downstream and Gas Resources of which Distinguished Senator is a Co-Chair, the House of Representatives counterparts and indeed the entire National Assembly for a job well done”.

“The 3 per cent derivative for host communities can be more if the communities are supportive of the activities of the oil companies especially as regards the social responsibilities obligations even as it is germane to reason that it will be achievable”.

“We must say that Distinguished Senator, his colleagues and the House of Representatives Members in the current National Assembly have put in their best in giving effective representation to Akwa Ibom people and Nigeria in their capacities so far”

“The public by this statement are implored to discountenance the misinformation spewed by Richard Peters and the other analysts on the radio programme in question”, the statement read.

The group called on the Governor not to be distracted but to remain focus in his quest to ensure he leaves behind an industrialized state with massive infrastructural projects that will aid the realization of his Industrialization policy for the good of Akwa Ibom people, assuring him of the continuous support and solidarity of the group and Akwa Ibom people come 2023.

The group called on the Senator to call his “attack dogs” to order and always verify his claims before rushing to the press in order to spare himself avoidable embarrassment. IDF also advised him to stop further attacks on MPM as the people have embraced peace and will never go back to the dark days when insecurity, killings and state-sponsored assassination was prevalent in the state.