Hundreds of youths from the Calabar-South, Bakassi and Akpabuyo local government areas of Cross River on Tuesday stormed the state House of Assembly to protest the re-election bid of member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Essien Ayi, in the 2019 general election.
Ayi, who represents Calabar-South/Bakassi/Akpabuyo federal constituency in the National Assembly, was first elected in 2003 and had done four straight terms.
But the protesting youths insisted that they would prevail on Ayi not to seek re-election for the fifth time.
The protesters carried placards with varied inscriptions such as: “The Mugabe of Calabar South must go;” “Bakassi say no to fifth term lawmaker;” “Capital NO to fifth term,” among others.
They sought and got audience with the Speaker of the House, Mr. John Gaul Lebo, who was accompanied by other principal officers.
One of the speakers who identified himself as Solomon Archibong, told the Speaker in clear terms that they had come to speak against the wish of Ayi to return to the National Assembly.
“He is our own Mugabe, please let him leave, we need a new face,” he said.