A leading contender to the Ikono/INI Federal House of Representatives’ seat, Obong Emmnuel Ukpong-Udo, has condemned the invasion of the National Assembly by operatives of the State Security Service.
Obong Ukpong-Udo, who made this known through a telephone conversation on Tuesday, said the action was barbaric and a deliberate attempt by some forces to truncate Nigeria’s nascent democracy.
He urged Nigerians at home and abroad to stand against undemocratic elements, saying “This act has never been heard of. This is the height of dictatorship. It is an illegal and undemocratic attempt by some elements to thwart and break the leadership of the National Assembly.”
“This is madness and a high level of atrocity. Progress and development of Nigeria should be first. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, guarantees both the independence of the Legislature and separation of powers. Nigeria is a democratic nation. Nigeria is not under military dictatorship,” Obong Ukpong-Udo maintained.
The National Assembly hopefu called on the presidency live up to its responsibility of upholding the sanctity of constitution, law and order.
“What has happened today at the National Assembly is an invitation to anarchy, if not checked, it will consume all of us. There are better ways of using our security agency and invasion of the National Assembly, the symbol and citadel of democracy, is not one of such ways. People are being killed everyday across the country; our national economy is on the tailspin, unemployment has become the order of the day, herdsmen are fast becoming irredeemable terrors and all those concerned could think of is to deploy security forces in this manner. This is an abdication of responsibility by the APC-led federal government,” he added.
Obong Ukpong-Udo, who further charged Nigerians, particularly the people of Ikono/INI, to see eternal vigilance as the price of liberty, said “We must be watchful and mobilized to defend our young democracy.”
