Niger Delta youths on Friday condemned the failed attempt to impeach the governor of Akwa Ibom, Deacon Udom Emmanuel, in the contrived crisis that led to the sealing of the State House of Assembly.

The youths described as desperate, moves by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to wrest power from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) states in the Niger Delta, adding that it would be futile as APC is not on ground in Akwa Ibom and indeed the Niger Delta region.

The Akwa Ibom Assembly was plunged into crisis on Tuesday after five APC lawmakers, whose seats were recently declared vacant by the Speaker of the House, Onofiok Luke, attempted to impeach Governor Emmanuel.

The ruling PDP in the state accused the immediate past governor of the state Godswill Akpabio, an APC leader, of masterminds of the failed impeachment a development Akpabio denied.

However, the state APC chairman, Mr. Ime Okopido, told reporters in Uyo on Thursday that the opposition party had nothing to do with the crisis in the House of Assembly.

Okopido described the statement credited to the state PDP chairman, Mr Paul Ekpo, on November 27, alleging that the APC lawmakers met to impeach the governor as faulty and misleading.

The youths under the auspices of Coalition of Niger Delta Youth Leaders (CNDYL) expressed solidarity with Gov Emmanuel Udom and Akwa Ibom people in a communiqué issued after a meeting in Yenagoa.

Akwa Ibom chapter of CNDYL and the National Executive had held an emergency meeting at the National Secretariat on Thursday to review the situation.

According to the communique signed by Mr Tiedor Olayinks, National President, Mr Trimik Utube, Secretary, and David Akpabio, Akwa Ibom chapter Chairman of CNDYL there are unseen external hands fueling the crisis.

The group therefore urged people of Akwa Ibom to be vigilant to report suspicious movements of criminally minded persons in their neighbourhoods to the nearest police or other security agencies around their areas.

The communiqué said: “We call on the youths and peace-loving people of Akwa Ibom to be very resolute and rally their unalloyed and unwavering support to the State Government under Governor Emmanuel Udom.

“Udom is a shining example of good leadership and a propelling inspiration to the youths not only in Akwa Ibom, the failed attempt by five out of 26 members was laughable and undemocratic.

“We perceive a growing trend of executive manipulation from the Buhari-led APC Federal Government in using underhand dealings of security agencies to intimidate, harass and influence established democratic institutions and processes in the country.

“With the passage of the electoral act into law by the National Assembly; there is need for robust sensitisation campaigns by Government of what the law entails and citizens’ participation as well.

“We urge youth across the Niger Delta to close ranks to ensure the sustenance of the relative peace in our various communities and urge political gladiators to show restraint in their public utterances to avoid heating-up the polity.”

The group also berated the frequent changes of Commissioners of Police in PDP states in the Niger Delta region especially Bayelsa, and Akwa Ibom claiming it was a ploy to rig forthcoming general elections.

It noted that the use of military deployed to Rivers to disband trainees of vigilance scheme backed by the state government relevant laws was another instance of meddlesomeness by federal security agencies in PDP controlled state in the region.

It further urged the international community to prevail on the APC-led Federal Government to allow the prevailing peace to reign to avoid dragging the region into another phase of violence.

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