2015 Guber Race: Group Debunks Media Report Against Effiong Abia

Barely twenty four hours after the local tabloid (not the Sensor) published a news item with screaming headline entitled “2015 Guber Race: Effiong Abia's Plot to blackmail Governor Akpabio Exposed” a group has lampooned the Newspaper, describing the publication as misleading, false, baseless and malicious capable of causing disaffection between Governor Akpabio and Effiong Abia, Esq. the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

The group under the auspicious of Movement for Democracy and Good Governance, (MDGG) in a release expressed dismay at the spurious allegation and wondered what frustration should have compelled the owner or publisher of The Newspaper to condescend to fabricate falsehood in desperation to scurry non existing political patronage. 

The release signed by the acting president of the Group Comrade Edet George and Secretary Elder Aniekan Etuk respectively said the alleged plot to blackmail Governor Akpabio by Effiong Abia, Esq only existed in the imagination of the owner and publisher of local tabloid (not the Sensor) newspaper and strongly advised him to retrace his steps from hatching articles aimed at smearing the hard earned image and reputation of Effiong Abia, Esq who is also known even by his contemporaries as a loyal and honest public servant.

The group which described the relationship between Governor Akpabio and Effiong Abia, Esq as very cordial, challenged the  Newspaper to produce evidence of Effiong Abia, Esq bribing and negotiating with two tabloids in the sum of N800,000 to publish damaging reports against Governor Akpabio and cautioned the Newspaper to thread the path of responsible journalism.

The group warned the publisher of newspaper not to vent his frustration and political woes on the doorsteps of responsible Akwa Ibom people as he is the architect of his own political miseries.

The group recalled how the owner of the said Newspaper resigned his appointment in one of the viable commissions to vie for House of Assembly election in his local Government area, but failed woefully, describing him as a sinking politician desperately angling for survival.

The group also recalled how the owner of the Newspaper had been vainly trying to regain political relevance through sponsorship of fabricated stories to woo Governor Akpabio for possible appointment into Boards and Commission, but all to no avail, sympathizing with a drowning politician.

According to the group, the owner/publisher of the sermon should remember that political glory is never built upon foundation of sponsorship of malicious, spurious, baseless and misleading articles capable of fanning the ember of ethnicity and disunity in the state.

The Movement for Democracy and Governance has noted that no amount of bad press orchestrated by the Newspaper will clip the wings of intimidating and unquestionable political profile of Effiong Abia, Esq who is doggedly committed to the uncommon transformation of Governor Akpabio.

The group maintained that Effiong Abia does not need to unjustly attack Governor Akpabio in order to succeed him as only God knows the next occupant of the hilltop mansion in 2015.

The group used the opportunity to called on the good people of Akwa Ibom to join forces with the present government in its determined effort to transform the state and to distance themselves from person or group of persons who are begging to heat up the polity ahead of 2015 through campaign of Calumny, blackmail and character assassination.