Sen. Bassey Otu
From Diana Okon-Effiong, Calabar
The leadership of Labour Party (LP) in Cross River State in Nigeria’s South South Geo-political Zone has faulted the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) approach to alleged assassination attempt by unknown persons on a senatorial candidate in Calabar.
The State Chairman of LP, Mr. Austin Ibok, explained this in an interactive session with journalists in Calabar. in reaction to the report because its candidate in the race, Sen. Bassey Otu, was allegedly linked to the attack at Chief Gershom Bassey’s residence in Calabar.
It will be recalled that the attack on the residence of the PDP senatorial candidate for Cross River South was reported Feb. 21, raising concerns over assassination attempt on his life.
Bassey, the PDP senatorial candidate, as well as the state Police command confirmed to journalists that there was an attack on his residence on Saturday evening.
According to the candidate a policeman and Nigeria Security and civil Defence personnel who were injured by the attackers at his residence were receiving treatment in some health facilities.
Also Mr. Hogan Bassey, The Police Public Relations Officer in Cross River, who confirmed the attack, said the police was investigating the incident in order to track and arrest the gunmen.
He also said that those who carried out the attack failed to gain entrance into Bassey’s residence since they were resisted and repelled.
He appealed to politicians and members of the public to be very vigilant especially during the electioneering period.
He advised members of the public to always raise alarm whenever they suspected any criminal activities around them or their neighbours and alert the police promptly.
But Ibok alleged that the leadership of ruling PDP in Cross River was making a political capital of the incident.
He also alleged that the PDP was attempting to link the LP’s southern senatorial candidate, Sen. Bassey Otu, with the incident, adding that such was unacceptable to the party.
He also faulted the PDP over reports that its chieftain negotiated with the gunmen to retrieve the gun they snatched from a security personnel at Bassey’s house during the incident.
The LP chairman said: “We are reliably informed that during the alleged shooting at Gershom Bassey’s house, a rifle was taken away from one of his security men.
“Today, we understand that the rifle was returned after negotiation with one of Gershom Bassey’s aide, a member of one of the boards in Cross River State.
“The politician who is also from the same political ward with Gershom Bassey, allegedly negotiated with militants who seized the rifle.
“And we ask, how did PDP identify the gunmen to negotiate with? Will Prince Bassey Otu hire gunmen to attack Gershom Bassey only for his aide to become the negotiator?”
Ibok alleged that the PDP had deliberately attempting to blackmail the LP candidate because of his soaring popularity among the masses, describing the development as the height of a political party’s desperation to cling unto power.
In another development a group, Democratic Alliance, also told journalists in Calabar that Sen. Bassey Otu should not be linked with complicity in the attack at the PDP candidate’s residence.
The group’s position was conveyed through its secretary, Mr. Daniel Ekpe, during a press briefing in Calabar.
A statement signed by the group’s Coordinator; Elder Eyo Nsa, Director of Women affairs, Abigail Ekpo among others, it flayed attempts by the State’s ruling party to link Otu with the dastardly act.
“Our attention has been drawn to the nebulous propaganda and insinuations by the State Chairman of Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), John Okon, corroborated by the senatorial candidate, Gershom Bassey over the recent assassination attempt on the life of the later in Calabar.
“Ordinarily, we would have ignored the outburst and false alarm as a non-issue, but instead forced to summon this forum to educate the unsuspecting electorate and security agencies more.
“The picture has been framed in semblance that Prince Otu is the main opposition to the coveted senate contest, hence, responsible for this dastardly and coward-like back stab,” the statement read in part.
While dismissing the allegation against Otu as false and unfounded, the group charged the ruling party to desist from campaign of calumny.
It also alleged that the attack was masterminded by some political hirelings, whom Bassey is indebted to, adding that the debt collectors were at the PDP candidate’s residence that fateful day to recover their debt before the faceoff with his guards.
“We stand to be contradicted that the recent assassination attempt on the life of the candidate in focus is as a result of his restive political jobbers and hirelings which he is indebted to,” it stated.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police has assured that its personnel would prosecute politicians who violate the recent peace accord signed recently by political parties in Calabar.
Mr Tunde Ogunsakin, the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Police, Zone 6 gave the assurance while speaking with journalists on efforts to rid the zone of criminal activities before, during and after the forthcoming polls.
He also said that a stakeholders’ conference in conjunction with the INEC had been scheduled for Port Harcourt on March 11 for relevant stakeholders within states within the zone 6 to discuss election and security issues.
He said that Governors from the zone comprising Cross River; Akwa Ibom; Ebonyi; and Rivers as well as security agencies, the Media and politicians were expected at the conference to ensure peaceful, free and fair elections.
“I have to warn politicians that we will try to enforce the peace accord to the later and any politician that contravenes the accord will be brought to justice. We want peaceful, credible and violent free election that will be accepted not only in Nigeria but the World over,” he said.
According to him the command has set up electoral investigative committee under his leadership to investigate electoral offences in the four states of the zone.
Ogunshakin also disclosed that he directed all the Commissioners in the zone to commence a stop and search operation with the view to mopping up illegal arms.
“The stop and search operation will start this Saturday,’’ he said.
He said that the Inspector General of Police had instructed that some police personnel deployed as guards to some people attached be withdrawn during the elections.
He appealed to Cross River Government to assist the command with operational vehicles to effectively patrol all parts of the state.
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