Group asks U.S, Britain to sanction Akpabio for election rigging

A victim of Governor Akpabio's mindless election fraud, violence and killings....

Please if you wish to sign the petition kindly follow the link: Click on this link to sign thepetition. Read the main story after the cut.......

By Nse Peter

A group in Nigeria has asked the United States and British governments to sanction Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom for vote rigging and killings allegedly carried out during the April 11, 2015 governorship and House of Assembly elections in the state.

The group, Committee for Political Freedom & Responsibility (cpfr), in its petition to the U.S President, Mr. Barrack Obama, the U.S Secretary of State, Mr. John Kerry and the British Foreign Secretary, Mr. William Hague, said “Governor Godswill Akpabio and his aides planned and executed the worst form of rigging in Nigeria’s political history, in a bid to sustain their personal and selfish interests in government”.

The petition is published on Change.org, an online petition platform.

Apart from Governor Godswill Akpabio, the group also wants the American and British governments to investigate and sanction the following public officers for their roles in the alleged rigging and killings during the April 11 elections in Akwa Ibom State: Mr. Gabriel Achong, the Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State; Mr. Udom Emmanuel, the governor-elect; Mr. Paul Ekpo, the Akwa Ibom State Chairman of PDP; Mr. Austine Eni Okojie, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Akwa Ibom State; Mr. Uwem Ita Etuk, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Akwa Ibom State; Mr. Emmanuel Enoidem, Commissioner for Housing & Urban Development in the state.

The group alleged that “state-sponsored thugs wearing fake police uniform stormed various polling centres across Akwa Ibom State, firing gunshots into the air, while hijacking ballot materials. Some voters and agents of the main opposition political party, APC, were either wounded or killed from gunshots.

“We are moved to initiate this petition against Governor Godswill Akpabio and his accomplices because of the destruction of innocent lives who merely went out to exercise their right to vote for leaders of their choice, and the massive rigging that marred the April 11, 2015 elections in Akwa Ibom State. We view the criminal justice system in Nigeria as being too weak and unreliable to look into this case.

“The success of this petition would help sent a timely signal to local tyrants in Nigeria like Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State that their actions are being watched by people all over the world, and this could deter them from using their offices to kill innocent and helpless citizens or brazenly subverting the wishes of the people during elections.”