The Senator representing Eket Senatorial district and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 2015 governorship aspirant in Akwa Ibom state, Senator Helen Esuene, yesterday escaped death as her campaign team was attacked in Essien Udim Local government Area of the state by hoodlums.
The incident occurred at about 3.45 pm when the Senator was addressing a crowd of party enthusiasts including the state PDP Chairman Elder Friday Udoh who had gathered at the party secretariat in Afa Ikot Ebak to listen to her campaign message.
As Esuene was addressing the PDP faithful, thugs brandishing different types of weapons suddenly invaded the place, attacked everybody in the hall and upturned tables and chairs including that of the senator.
But her supporters who surrounded her quickly intervened and whisked her away from the scene of the incident.
The thugs were said to have shot severally into the air and queried why the state party chairman should allow another candidate to come and campaign in Essien Udim. They claimed that no any other candidate apart from the government anointed aspirant, Mr. Udom Emmanuel would allowed to come to Essien Udom to campaign.
Commenting on the incident, the Deputy Director General of Senator Esuene campaign team and former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr. Bassey Essien, decried the incident, saying that such a ugly incident in the governor’s community was uncalled for.
But efforts to get the comment of the state Police Public Relations Officer Mr. Etim Dickson, over the incident failed as he could not be reached at press time.
