PDP suspends recall of Senator Etok

The Peoples Democratic Party in Akwa Ibom State has suspended the process for the recall of the representative of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Aloysius Etok.
The decision to suspend the recall process of Etok was taken at a meeting of the State Working Committee of the PDP.
According to a communique issued at the end of the meeting, the decision to suspend the recall process was taken after appeals from well meaning members of the party.
Etok had in an interview alleged that the state Governor, Barrister Godswill Akpabio, was after his life after he spurned moves for him to be replaced in 2015 in the National Assembly by Akpabio.
However, one Tamunoye Olaore said he hatched the plot of a phantom attack on Etok as a result of the disagreement between the senator and Akpabio.
Olaore said he saw the disagreement as a means of making fast money off Etok by claiming the governor was after his life.
The SWC of the PDP in Akwa Ibom State, at its meeting on Friday, said the hatchet over the disagreement should be buried, starting with the suspension of the recall of Etok.
The communique of the meeting reads in full: “At a meeting of the State Working Committee (SWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held on Thursday, May 9th, 2013, the party reviewed the development in Ikot Ekpene senatorial district and in particular the circumstances which led to the initiation of recall proceedings billed to commence on Friday May 10th, 2013 against Senator Aloysius Etok. The SWC also noted the confessions of one Mr Adedola Tamunotoye Olaore alias General Africa who affirmed  that in order to extort money from Senator Aloysius Etok, he (Mr Olaore) falsely claimed he had been hired by agents of Governor Godswill Akpabio to assassinate Senator Etok.
“The SWC after considering several entreaties and appeals from stakeholders, elders of the party, well meaning Akwa Ibom citizens and other Nigerians on the need to call for a truce resolved as follows:
“1.     That the security agencies be commended for promptly establishing that His Excellency Governor Akpabio was in no way involved in the phantom plot to assassinate Senator Aloysius Etok.
“2.    That immediate step be taken by the appropriate law enforcement agencies to ensure that Mr. Olaore is immediately prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to other criminals.
“3.     That all processes directed at recalling senator Aloysius Etok be suspended to allow for mediation by Party leaders and elders.
“4.     That the SWC however affirms the Vote of No Confidence already passed on Senator Aloysius Etok in view of the fact that he has not deemed it fit to apologise to His Excellency, Governor Akpabio even after the security agencies had cleared Governor Akpabio of any wrong doing in the phantom assassination plot.
“5.     That the Party advises all our members and our representatives to behave honourably and responsibly and desist from making false and malicious allegations and insinuations against  one another or against constituted authority.
“6.     Finally the Party warns her members to desist from whipping up ethnic sentiments to promote hatred and disunity in the state as the matter in Ikot Ekpene senatorial district from all indications has no ethnic connotations.”
The communique was signed by the Chairman of the party in the state, Obong Paul Ekpo; and the Secretary, Barrister Ibanga Akpabio.