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| Recently burnt house in Okoyong Odukpani, Cross River State |
Our Correspondent|26 January 2019
Some members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Okoyong community of Odukpani Local Government Area were attacked by thugs believed to be members of the All Progressive Congress (APC).
Reports has it that the home of a PDP leader in the area, Eka Etim Ekpa was set ablaze on Monday 21st January 2019, while a vehicle and other properties belonging to another PDP member, Mr Bassey Asuquo was equally vandalised on the same day at about 2pm by alleged APC thugs.
Images reveal a house recently burnt down completely and an automobile badly vandalised with the windscreen destroyed, side windows equally broken and punctured tires.
A cheiftain of the PDP in the area told journalists that Odukpani has always been a peaceful and strong hold of the Peoples Democratic party until recently when Elder Ekpo Okon a former state chairman of the PDP, who also hails from Okoyong community defected to the All Progressive Congress and emerged as deputy governorship candidate of the party in Cross River, since then intimidation and violence from the APC has taken the air in Odukpani local government area.
‘Our supporters are law abiding, and had always adhere to the principles of the founding fathers which is against electoral violence and other undemocratic acts. However, since Elder Ekpo Okon defected to APC and the refusal of major PDP stalwarts in Odukpani to defect with him, he has resulted in violence and intimidation of party members,’ the PDP Chieftain maintained.
It will be recalled just recently, His Excellency Prof. Ben Ayade paid a visit to some hospitalized party members of the PDP in Etung LGA who were brutally attacked by suspected APC thugs. The governor has since called out to the leadership of the APC to caution its members and supporters against the use of violence in the forth coming elections and has further advised the Commissoner of police in the state henceforth to stop and search all campaign convoys for illegal possessions of arms.
Other forms of violence witness in the state has been the destruction of Campagin billboards of His Excellency Prof Ben Ayade within Calabar metropolis, Ikom, Ogoja and Obudu Local government Areas of the state.
