Group sacks Akpabio’s aide for using fake identity to attack governor’s opponents

Mr. Essien Ndueso

By Nse Peter

Governor Godswills Akpabio’s Personal Assistant on Media, Mr. Essien Ndueso has been disgraced in an online forum, IbomChronicle, over allegations that he hid under a fake identity to attack political opponents of the governor.

Ibom Chronicle, hoisted on Yahoo! platform, is an online discussion group mainly for indigenes of Akwa Ibom State.

There have been intense political debates of late in the forum, and other similar online forums. The tensed situation on the Internet is seen as a reflection of the current political tension in Akwa Ibom State. Nigerians are going to the polls in February, few weeks from now, to elect their leaders, and in the Akwa Ibom State, the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) looks good to give the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state a hard fight.

The moderators of IbomChronicle, in a statement, accused the governor’s personal assistant, Mr. Essien Ndueso of using a fake name, ‘Bassey Ubokudom’ to attack political opponents of Godswill Akpabio. “This was a name used by Essien Ndueso to smudge, abuse, and lie about those that do not subscribe to his prejudiced political doctrine,” the statement said, while adding that the said “Bassey Ubokudom stands proscribed from IbomChronicle .”

“His true identity came to light earlier today when he wrote and posted as Bassey Ubokudom, but signed the piece as “Essienobong” – a name he appends to his writings whenever he is over the moon.

“We have removed Bassey Ubomudom and allowed Essien Ndueso to maintain his membership of the forum. Further infractions on the part of Essien Ndueso will attract stiffer sanctions,” the statement said.

Think Akwa Ibom! have spoken with numerous journalists in Akwa Ibom State who said they have received news stories bearing the byline ‘Bassey Ubokudom’ and that the stories most times emanate from Government House, Uyo.   

Think Akwa Ibom! gathered that the APC’s governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Umana Okon Umana, former governor, Obong Victor Attah, PDP chieftains, Chief Don Etiebet, and Chief Edet Nkpubre have been the persistent targets of Essien Ndueso who is campaigning for Akpabio’s protégé, the PDP’s candidate in the governorship election, Mr. Udom Emmanuel.

The list of Ndueso’s targets has been increased of late to include former deputy governors, Obong Nsima Ekere, Obong Patrick Ekpotu, the Majority Leader in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Mr. Okpolupm Ette, Senator Helen Esuene and other aggrieved PDP governorship aspirants who are calling for the cancellation of the concluded PDP governorship primaries in the state.

Essien Ndueso is yet to react to the development in IbomChronicle.