Police in Akwa Ibom State have stopped a sensitisation campaign for residents to vote wisely to enthrone a new leadership in 2027.
The coalition of over 757 members of the RATEL Movement in the state, coordinated centrally by#VeryDarkman, had assembled with placards of varying inscriptions at the Ibom Plaza by Abak Road intersection preparing for a march to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office to present their demands to the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof Anugbum Onuoha.
However, a police detachment drafted to the scene, were said to have scrutinised and sensored some of the inscriptions, and subsequently ordered the removal of a particular one with an inscription; “End Bad Governance”, which they thought was very offensive to the State and Federal Governments.
Other placards designed for the peaceful protest, according to one of the leaders, Miss Blessing Peter, a student of the University of Uyo (UNIUYO), read, “We Need A New Nigeria,” “Our Votes Must Count,” among others.
She explained that the aggrieved youths of Akwa Ibom youths and other volunteers joined the demonstration because of the prevailing socio-economic economic, security, hunger, joblessness, starvation and the rising costs of essential goods plaguing the population.
“We are planning to move from this Abak Road point here en- route the IBB Way through Aka Road to the INEC office along Udo Udoma Avenue -, to present our demands to the INEC REC, but suddenly we just got a counter order to stop the protest forthwith,” another member of the group, who would wants his name in print, stated.
However, it was gathered that the abrupt stoppage of the demonstration became necessary as the leaders could not secure approval from the Commissioner of Police (CP), Baba Azare.
“Yes, the Police actually stopped the action, claiming that we most secure approval before we embark on the peaceful and simple voter sensitisation exercise,” one of the leaders disclosed, adding that “we have secured the approval from the Police and we will resume for the exercise on Monday.”