The Akwa Ibom State Government has described as false and baseless, the accusation by Senator James Udoedehe, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) governorship candidate in the 2011 elections in the state, that the state government did everything within its powers to kill him.

The claim, says the State Commissioner for Information & Communications, Mr. Aniekan Umanah, is the hallucination of a failed and dumped politician.

Speaking with newsmen today in Uyo, the state capital, Mr. Umanah described the statement credited to Udoedehe and published in some newspapers as unfortunate and clearly a rehearsal of the regime of blackmail that characterised the ACN governorship campaigns during the 2011 elections.

He said it was unfortunate and sad that the same ACN governorship candidate who led a group of fully armed thugs that unleashed mayhem on the state, who burnt over 500 vehicles and tricycles bought by government for mass transportation, burnt and destroyed public buildings including the campaign office of President Goodluck Jonathan, caused the death of many people and destroyed other public and private properties in the state could turn around to accuse government of planning to kill him. “This is a clear indication that he is suffering mental amnesia,” Umanah said.

The Information Commissioner said in spite of the antics of ACN, the main opposition and the campaign of calumny that characterised their approach to the 2011 elections, they were still defeated in the field as well as serial court judgments that followed the election up to the Supreme Court.

He recalled that in spite of Udoedehe’s attempt to whip up ethnic sentiment and cause division in the state, he was roundly defeated by Governor Godswill Akpabio by polling over 957,000 votes against Senator Udoedehe who trailed far behind with 153,000 votes. Mr. Umanah said the verdict of the electorate in the 2011 governorship elections showed in unmistakable terms that the people voted for unity, progress and prosperity against the divisive and ethnic politics adding that the people voted Governor Akpabio to ensure the continuation of the uncommon transformation.

The commissioner described the claim by Senator Udoedeghe that ACN members were killed in Ikot Ekpene, as total falsehood, mentioning that the people who were officially reported killed were known PDP members, and that all the vehicles burnt in the mayhem were PDP vehicles.

He therefore challenged Senator Udoedeghe to produce any report showing that ACN members were killed or had their assets destroyed during the March 22, 2011 violence.

On the attempt to water down the achievements of Chief Akpabio, Mr. Umanah emphasised that it is on record that the governor has succeeded in turning the fortunes of Akwa Ibom around for the better. Through massive infrastructure like the concentric flyovers, e-library, over 1600 km of roads across the state, Ibom Entertainment Centre, the International Airport, among other notable projects of his administration, in addition to over 5,000 rural projects, Mr. Umanah said “it is wicked for anyone to claim that the governor has not achieved anything.”

He advised failed politicians in the state who think that they can bring down the towering achievements of Governor Akpabio to have a rethink, as the people of the state and Nigerians know better and appreciate a great work that the Akpabio administration has done in the State.

He added that Chief Akpabio is a peace-loving Governor who will never contemplate evil against anyone, but will however, not fail to explore legal means in settling any matter brought to his attention.

•Photo shows Mr. Umana Umana, Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government (middle), Mrs. Cecilia Udoessien, Head of the Civil Service (1st right), Mr. Aniekan Umanah, Commissioner for Information and Communications(2nd right), Mr. Albert Bassey, Finance Commissioner (2nd left), and Mr. Godwin Afanghide, Commissioner for Agriculture, at the Executive Council Chambers before the state EXCO meeting in Uyo.