The Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, has refuted report that he called for full emergency rule in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States.
The governor, who said he didn't canvass for such a position made this known in a statement issued on Tuesday by the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Aniekan Umanah.
Akpabio and Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, were said to have urged President Goodluck Jonathan to suspend the governors of the three states where insurgency is thriving - Kashim Shettima (Borno), Ibrahim Gaidam (Yobe) and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa).
The comment allegedly drew criticism from the state's stakeholders, while Governor Nyako and Gaidam described Clark as thoughtless, provocative and diversionary.
Meanwhile, a Lagos-based human rights activist and lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN) also blasted Clark yesterday for championing illegality.
Akpabio, however, insisted that the alleged report that he advised the president to extend emergency rule and halt all democratic structures in the three states was false and mischievous.
"At no time did Governor Akpabio offer such advice nor granted any interview on the issue" the statement read. "Matters of emergency rule are vested on the president and commander-in-chief of the Federal Republic and therefore, no governor has any say on such decisions, as it is the prerogative of Mr. President and the Senate".
The statement said the report was a calculated attempt to mar the image of the governor and his office, adding that Akpabio. was one of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors who lauded the president for retaining the democratic structures in the affected states.
No comments:
Post a Comment