The 2019 general elections in the country are raising the body temperature of politicians of all hues. The craving to capture political offices tops their agenda. Scheming, spins, intrigues and subterfuge are massed by different players and gladiators for the forthcoming “war.”
The usual soapbox gerrymandering is mastered by political office seekers. Parties’ manifestoes, rehearsed. Slogans recited like nursery school rhyme.Then consultations are in high gear. Old alliances that spell failure are let go and new ones forged. Political “marriages” are struck. The stage is set for the big party- victory.
Of the 68 political parties registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are the dominant ones at the national and state levels. The rest are in the featherweight category of the contest to slug out for showing and financial largesse to avoid INEC’s big hammer.
APC, Akwa Ibom state chapter like the national major opposition is not resting on its oars. Though the National Executive Council of the party has extended the tenure of National Working Committee members by one year and by extension state executive, local government and ward chapters, other members are doing everything within their strength to reposition the party.
To strengthen the party, the APC-led Federal Government had appointed Sir Nsima Udo Ekere as Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the agency charged with responsibility for development of infrastructure and services in the nine Niger Delta states; Umana Okon Umana, erstwhile governorship candidate of the party in the 2015 election as the Managing Director of Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority; Engr. Ben Ukpong, commissioner, National Population Commission; Engr. Akanimo Edet, commissioner, National Identity Management Commission and Engr. Ita Awak, Director of Air Worthiness Standard, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA. Again, the government also approved 35 appointments into boards, commissions and agencies for APC members from the state.These are strategic appointments aimed at bolstering the party’s showing during the elections.
Despite these appointments, the party in the state has some telling nightmares- obstacles to overcome given the seriousness of the elections particularly the governorship race. The electorate may gauge the performance of the party at the national level as overriding factor to determine their support for party at the state level. So, the prevailing shortcomings of the federal government may not be out rightly dismissed with a wave of hand before and during the elections. For instance, allegations of condoning corrupt practices by government functionaries, subtle support of Fulani herdsmen/farmers clashes resulting in the countless deaths of innocent persons, inability to recover Kidnapped Chibok girls, the recent abduction of Dapchi girls in a suspicious manner are rife.
Others are the impending fuel price hike, drastic loss of jobs, rabid unemployment rate, non-implementation of APC’s agenda, insecurity to lives and property, upsurge in criminal activities, crushing economic hardships and sufferings among the poor masses said to be perpetrated by the APC government cannot be signed off. The party may argue that it inherited most of these problems from the defeated Peoples Democratic Party which does not fail remind ruled the country for 16 uninterrupted years, yet the electorate may do a re-think on these foibles in reaching their final decisions. And of course, the opposition party may see the excuse as hogwash for use in brainwashing and capturing more voters.
One heavy pain on the neck of Akwa Ibom APC is Senator John James Akpan Udoedeghe. He may not win the governorship ticket given the present composition of NWC members. In 2015, he had joined the race before but Umana Okon Umana who defected from PDP to the party under the teleguide of Chief Don O. Etiebet, a former National Chairman of now defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), which was one of the legacy parties that formed APC, clinched the ticket and flew the party’s flag in the state before Udom Emmanuel threw him off the guard.
For the 2019 elections, Udoedeghe has again joined the governorship race and has in nine days toured the 31 local government areas of the state and sensitised his supporters on the need to support his aspiration.
He is a one-time chairman of Uyo local government area, Senator who represented Uyo Senatorial District, Chairman, Governing Board of Federal College of Education, Potiskum, Yobe State and a one-time Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Udoedeghe sees himself as the APC leader in the state, being the arrowhead of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), one of the legacy parties that birthed APC.
Hear him “I have a mass movement. I am a strong contender for governor. We cannot be diminished. We are the founding fathers of the APC in Akwa Ibom. I am in the race for governor. I call for harmony in the chapter because unity is strength. The insinuations that I would not run the race are the handiwork of detractors.”
He said the APC would sack the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from power next year, urging party leaders and followers to brace themselves for the challenge. The senator added: “The APC will win the next governorship election in Akwa Ibom. We should gird our loins.”
Again, some political analysts see Akwa Ibom APC as a one-man circus show revolving around Nsima Ekere, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). This is akin to putting ones eggs in a basket in case of any eventuality.
Ekere is also the principal partner of Ekere and Associates, a former deputy governor of Akwa Ibom State, a one-time executive chairman, Akwa Ibom Investment & Industrial Promotion Council, AKIIPOC and a one-time chairman, Akwa Ibom State Boundary Commission. He is also a former chairman, Akwa Ibom State Emergency Management Agency. In addition, he is former chairman, Ibom Power Company; former Director, Voice of Nigeria; former Director, Universal Energy Resources Limited; a former Director, Anchor Insurance Company Limited and a former Director, Amakpe Refineries.
The 52-year-old surveyor hails from Ikot Oboroenyin, Edemaya Clan in Ikot Abasi local government area of Akwa Ibom State. Attended The Polytechnic, Calabar; Mary Knoll College, Ogoja; Regina Coeli College, Ikot Abasi and Methodist Central School, Ikot Abasi, he is a fellow of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers; a registered member of Estate Surveyors and Valuers Registered Board of Nigeria; a senior certified Valuer from the International Real Estate Institute, Minnesota, USA and an Associate member of Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation in London.
Initially, he was said to have been appointed to complete the tenure of Barr. Dan Abia just as it will be recalled that Barr. Bassey Dan Abia while serving as Commissioner on the Board of NDDC was made the complete the unexpired portion of the tenure of Amb. Sam Edem as Chairman of the board. It was expected that by December last year, his two-year tenure would have expired based on the the purported arrangement that he completed Abia’s tenure. However, it is alleged that the federal government has since approved another two years for him.
Since he is said to be nursing governorship ambition, most APC members throng his office and house like Mecca to get perks in return for their supposed support. Juicy road contracts, contracts for renovation of schools and supplies are alleged to be awarded to most of his staunch supporters in the three Senatorial districts. He is seen as the fulcrum of the party in the state. Assuming he is no longer the NDDC chief executive, it is conjectured that the party will falter. Nsima Ekere seems not to be quite keen on efforts to reinvigorate the party which is the platform for contesting for elective offices.
May be his previous attempts having not been successful has made him to seek to build his empire and later foist it on the party. In 2003, he did not make success in the PDP primaries for a Federal House of Representatives ticket and so was favoured by the ANPP. In the general election that year which was characterised by militarisation of the election process by the desperation of the then ruling government, he made poor showing. In 2006, his aspiration for the governorship was thwarted by the famously known Godswill is done in Akwa Ibom. Fortune, however, came his way in 2011 when he was selected running mate to Godswill Akpabio, the then incumbent.
What political bookmakers see as another nightmare of the party is the fear that if Ekere wins, he may renege on the one-term slot by not surrendering power to Akwa Ibom North West (Uyo) Senatorial District in 2023. In other words, he may want to go for a second term, thus depriving Uyo their opportunity of occupying Hilltop Mansion.
An APC chieftain from Ibesikpo Asutan confided in Straightnews that “Many of us in the party will not support Ekere because he will truncate the zonal arrangement. Governor Udom Emmanuel is representing Akwa Ibom South (Eket) Senatorial District where Ekere comes from too. It is safer to support Emmanuel of PDP who is doing a first term to complete his second tenure in 2023 and hand over to us instead of Ekere who may want to do another term, thus depriving a son of Uyo Senatorial the opportunity of occupying Hilltop Mansion in 2023.
Recently, some local tabloids were awash with reports that Ekere’s counterpart, Umana would not support Ekere for the 2019 governorship election in the state.
Though the report is unconfirmed, it is said that quarrel started last year when Umana supposedly told Nsima to bury his governorship ambition as it will destroy the zoning arrangement of the State.
“If Ekere succeeds in his governorship bid, it will definitely thwart the zoning arrangement of the state as the NDDC chief boss will refuse to go for a single term. Ekere is from Eket Senatorial District, where the incumbent governor who is about to complete his first four years hails from,” The Mail reported.
According to the newspaper, “it is an open secret in political circles in the state that the Nsit Ubium born former Secretary to State Government played a prominent role in the planned impeachment ofEkere as Deputy Governor.
“The diminutive technocrat is said to have been the one who spearheaded the hatchet job to oust Nsima from the number two position unceremoniously.
“As at then, Umana and Ekere were prime aspirants for the plum job. The plan to impeach Nsima failed as some members of the Assembly who were loyal and supportive of his governorship bid leaked the information to him and he quickly resigned.
He is also said to have noted that if Nsima Ekere is banking his hopes on Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of Transport, then he has a long way to go as he will be seriously disappointed. Umana is still adamant in not supporting Ekere’s bid and his groups, including Renaissance have failed to key into Ekere’s project.
The Mail reported “Some members of the Renaissance group complained that the NDDC boss is creating division in the APC by discriminating against party members apparently loyal to UOU. The group, Akwa Ibom Renaissance had recently bemoaned that their members have been neglected by the President Buhari administration.”
Other political analysts forcast that the issue of grassroots backgrounding is equally of nightmarish concern. “APC is not yet seen as a form of religion in the state like PDP. Its presence is not firmly felt at the grassroots due to the rag tag manner the party was put together coupled with the exodus of PDP aggrieved members into it. They are seen as individuals instead of a group to grab power from the PDP at the state,” they pin pointed to Straightnews.
During the December 2 local government elections in the state, PDP captured all 31 chairmanship and 329 councillorship positions in the 31 local government areas. However, the PDP’s landslide victory at the local government elections may not be used as a yardstick in determining its popularity. Given room for free and fair local government elections in the state, APC would have grabbed many positions to further solidify its foothold in the state.This is due to the fact that PDP even at the state level is said to be under performing in some some sectors. The electorates were yearning for a positive change, yet they were not given the opportunity to freely exercise their franchise.
An anonymous APC member confided in Straigtnews, “We have mapped out 16 local government areas in the state to take possession of election materials. In these local government areas, we will not allow PDP supporters to see elections materials.
However, we will throw open other areas and allow them to struggle for materials. By the time election is conducted and result announced, we would have captured power. The state Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) commissioner is with us. With certain arrangements, we will capture power in the state in 2019,” he was seen to have boasted.This “ostrich method” of rigging could be burst by the opposition.
To allay some of the fears of grabbing power at the state level, Enefiok Ekefre, an APC stalwart in the state said, “The number one thing: Are the operators of our political system people-oriented? In every political clime, the masses need a change at least for comparative reason. Our party has enogh goodwill.
Though there is a class struggle between the commoners and the elitists, the commoners are the majority in Akwa Ibom politics. If there is free and fair election, the commoners will triumph because of their numbers and yearnings for a change of baton. But are people in the ruling class ready to surrender power to the commoners? Be that as it may, I want our leaders to separate politics from governance, which is number one problem.”
Truth must be told that the absence of an arrow head to galvanise the APC in the state is akin to what Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is doing in the South West from AD to ACN and now APC and can spell doom for the party and its supporters or followers in Akwa Ibom State. With one year to go, APC still has more room to sit up and go ahead to seize the opportunity in coasting to victory in the state.
