Smear campaign against Senator effIong Bob taken too far

Edidiong Nya

The ongoing smear campaign against Distinguished Senator Effiong Bob, the political leader of Nsit Ubium has gone too far. The campaign which is sponsored by agents of blackmail, who does nothing than recruit rascals to go on social media, notably Facebook to post articles, videos, and make comments just to drag the high reputable Senator Bob to the mud.

When all these character assassination started, it was uncleared who was behind the mask, until Otobong Edemidiong was unmasked as the sponsor of the Facebook assassination of the character of Senator Bob. It was a very sad to know that the same Otobong Edemidiong, the immediate past chairman of Nsit Ubium, whom Senator Bob nurtured in politics, gave a voice to talk to the people, could be so inhuman to publicly disgrace his benefactor, by raining insults on his person.

Aside the stories on social media, several Newspapers have also been used in this smear campaign against Senator Bob, sponsored by Otobong Edemidiong and his likes,with different headlines, all aimed at tarnishing the image of Senator Effiong. Stories of how Senator Effiong is imposing his son on the people, how the people of Ubium North have rejected his son,and all that.

But one thing any right thinking person should consider first and ask questions, is the road that led to the emergence of Senator Effiong Bob's son, Barr. Otobong Bob as a candidate widely endorsed by the people, which was wrongly spread to have been rejected by some people, according to some reports on the papers, and reactions on the social media.

Before Otobong Edemidiong became and attacking dog, sponsoring attacks on Senator Effiong through the the likes of Kanny Okoko, and other idle minds. He was the first person to suggest Barr. Otobong Bob to the people, before he even went to talk to the father, the Senator. If Otobong Edemidiong will be truthful to himself, and his gullible followers, he would have told the people the whole truth, and how Senator Bob refused to agree with him on his choice of his son for three consecutive times, before obliging.

It was after several persuasion by Edemidiong and others, that Senator Effiong Bob agreed to work with them and iron out modalities before the election period finally sets in. But what will till tomorrow shock the people is that he( Edemidiong) mobilized for the endorsement of Barr. Bob, and was having a double face deal of endorsing another candidate, in the person of Hon. Blessing Mbakara.

As if that was not enough, he went on to hold meetings with the people, conspiring, and signing various memoranda on the support and candidacy of Blessing Mbakara. In one of the meetings, people who were not from Nsit Ubium were mobilized to attend, videos of the meetings recorded and posted on the internet.

Some Facebook users were mobilized by Kanny Okoko on the order of Otobong Edemidiong and paid 1,500 to make comments on the post that will tarnish the image of Senator Bob and his son. One wonders why Otobong Edemidiong had to go that far, just to attack Senator Effiong Bob, who turned him from a boy to a man, a man who until his recent smear campaign, has always ride on the back on the Senator.

One of the newspapers headline challenged Senator Bob to show one person he has empowered in the past 24years, this to me and other right thinking person saw a clear case of mischief. Because the boys who are claiming to be leaders in Nsit Ubium today, knew nothing about the politics of Nsit Ubium and that of PDP they are claiming today.

Who was Otobong Edemidiong 24years ago?
Who was Blessing Mbakara 24years ago?, that should dictate for the people of Nsit Ubium whom to represent them, and the party Senator Effiong co- founded.

The recent mudsling of Senator Bob, is the speculation that he is behind the recent arrest of Blessing Mbakara by DSS, who was later released, along with Otobong Edemidiong. To anybody who cares to hear, should take note of the fact, that the arrest of Blessing Mbakara was based on the allegation that she kidnapped one Mrs. Ekaete Uboh on 23rd September last year.

It is on record that the son of the missing woman had gone on social media to rain curses on Hon. Blessing Mbakara, who he said took his mother to an event along with other women to Uyo, while others returned home, his mother was missing. When he and other family members confronted her, she paid 10,000 to the police station at C Division to arrest, torture him, and put in detention.

This and many other issues was the reason she was arrested and has nothing to do with Senator Effiong Bob, as speculated on the media. Because up until today, the said woman has not been found. Before now, Blessing and her husband had threatened to kill anybody who tries to bring up the issues concerning the missing woman. But the question still remains, where is Mrs. Uboh? She was taken from her house by Hon. Blessing Mbakara.

Nsit Ubium should support the candidacy of Barr. Otobong Bob, who is well studied, exposed, and focused to lead the people, because if the father did not disappoint the people as a public office holder, he too will not. It is greed that makes some politicians to jump from one candidate to the other.

If Blessing Mbakara was that sellable, why did the elders and other stakeholders plead with Senator Effiong Bob to talk to his son, to accept to run for the Assembly seat. As far as the politics of Nsit Ubium is concerned, none of these blackmailers have the capacity to stop Barr. Otobong Bob, whose season has come. They wanted Barr. Bob, but now they want to mock him. The truth is that they have failed, because even God can not be mocked.

I saw a video posted online, how some stakeholders met with Senator Effiong Bob, to reaffirm their commitment to support his son irrespective of the act of betrayal by Otobong Edemidiong and others, and they even sang and prayed for Barr. Otobong, raised his hands up in solidarity. To my greatest surprise, senator Effiong Bob's words in the said video was interpreted has declaring war on those who are opposing his son. This is a cheap smear campaign taken to far.