Some Akwa Ibom people have condemned a picture making the rounds on social media that is aimed at ridiculing the immediate past Senate minority leader, Godswill Akpabio, who just lost his re-election bid.
In the said picture, some men who appear to be paid agents and jobbers jubilating over the senator’s defeat, are seen carrying a coffin with Akpabio’s picture pasted on it.
However, the picture did not go down well with some social media users, who, irrespective of the political parties they are sympathetic to, strongly condemned the act.
A commentator, Sunny Etuk, described the act as one that is not in tandem with the culture and values of the state.
“No, this is taking it too far. It negates our values as a people. Senator Godswill Akpabio may be down, once he learns his lessons, he’d rise again,” he wrote.
An angry Kingsley Udoh, a journalist, said “may those who plot this evil live and see shame all the days of their lives. May the sponsors of this evil act follow suit. More corpses await them as they returning home.”
Barikui Clement, a broadcaster with the Nigerian Television Authority, wondered why youths would allow themselves to be used to insult their elders.
“I don’t know why some youths will allow themselves to be used this way. Quite unfortunate that our youths have thrown respect into the trash can.”
Okon Ekpe said “I wholeheartedly condemn this act. This is just out rightly ridiculous.”
Imoh Essien, who is also a journalist, wrote “who is posting this? Please it has not come to this, political party aside. Senator Akpabio remains our father, son and a statesman. God will continue to give him good health and a long life. Amen.”
Also in a short article titled “Akpabio’s skid: My Thoughts,” Ekemini Simon, a state based journalist, posited that, even though Senator Akpabio may have taken a wrong political step as believed by many in the state, celebrating his defeat at the polls with a casket is sheer foolishness.
“Thus, using casket to celebrate his loss in the Ikot Ekpene Senatorial district race is rather unfortunate, extreme, disturbing and reveals smack of foolishness and infantilism.
“That he has lost is not the end of his life. Akpabio is still alive and remains Akwa Ibom son. Admittedly, during his reign as Governor of the State, he had made several mistakes. But his few good deeds cannot be totally whisked away,” he noted.
Senator Akpabio contested to return to the red chambers for a second term on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) but lost to Mr. Chris Ekpenyong of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
See the controversial photo below:
