The political tussle between Governor Udom Emmanuel and his political godfather, Senator Godswill Akpabio for the control of the soul of Akwa Ibom State has been given a sickening colouration by some political stakeholders and key players under Peoples Democratic Party in the state.
The discord that started ostensibly like a rumour has degenerated into a full-blown fight, thus making many tongues to wag and generating apprehension among the political class on the denouement of the battle.
Governor Emmanuel from Eket senatorial district daily appears to be amassing more arsenals by mobilising his kinsmen from Uyo and Eket senatorial districts to do the hatchet man’s job “to diminish” the political clout of Akpabio from Ikot Ekpene senatorial district.
The permutation is further seen as a way of ‘downsizing’ Akpabio’s dominance of the political space to capitulate to the governor’s whims in emerging as the sole candidate during the forthcoming PDP governorship primaries with ease.
Before now, Akpabio had decried the perceived marginalisation of Ikot Ekepene senatorial district by Udom administration.
After his statement, Akpabio had led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders from his district to pledge support for the governor’s second term bid in office, Udom seems not to be appeased by the ‘olive-branch’ gesture to him.
In what appeared like an attempt to do the paymaster’s bidding, Aniekeme Finbarr, one of the governor’s media aides, fired a salvo that it was well with Ikot Ekpene senatorial district contrary to Akpabio’s assertion that the senatorial district is marginalized.
In a swift reaction, Anieite Ekong, Akpabio’s media aide, said the article amounted to asking the senator to “shut up” over his stand that the district is marginalized.
Allegedly irked by Akpabio’s marginalization saga, Assam Assam, a one-time commissioner of justice and Attorney-General and former Nigerian Ambassador to Russia during ex-governor Akpabio’s era, spluttered barbs and reeled out uncompleted projects by his former boss, Akpabio.
Assam even alleged that Akpabio during his reign equally abandoned development projects in Eket and Uyo senatorial districts, which to him, amounted to marginalization.
As the drama kept unfolding, some PDP stakeholders of Uyo senatorial district entered the ring of media war against Akpabio to defend Udom as their kinsman. One of them is Idongesit Nkanga, a one-time military administrator of the state, Director-General of Godswill Akpabio Governorship Re-election Campaign and Director-General of Udom/Moses Divine Mandate into office has signed communiqué condemning Akpabio’s marginalisation.
Joining the fray too is a one-time youth leader of the defunct National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in the old Cross River State and a Senator who represented Uyo in the National Assembly, Anietie Okon. Not left out in the bout is a two-time senator who represented Uyo senatorial district in the National Assembly and the chairman of Comfort FM, Uyo, Effiong Bob.
In a communiqué dated January 7, the leaders of thought from Uyo senatorial district debunked “There is no truth in the allegations made by Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio: rightly, they are calculated statements of calumny, blackmail and arm-twisting. The claim by Senator Akpabio that projects he initiated in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District have been abandoned by Governor Udom Emmanuel is not thoughtful.”
They summed up “In the interests of peace and unity, the Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District should caution Senator Godswill Akpabio to desist from making unfounded utterances intended to create ethnic conflicts in Akwa Ibom State to serve his personal benefit. We encourage Senator Godswill Akpabio to respect conventions, values and principles that would sustain the prevailing peace in the state and allow the sleeping dog to lie.”
Uwem Nwoko, the state commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, who equally toed the line of Uyo leaders of thought, said “the ex-Governor made the statement because he did not have updates on the condition and constraints of projects in his senatorial district.”
Speaking during an interview with our correspondent at the weekend, Nwoko, who said Akpabio’s comments at the stakeholders meeting was not meant to undermine the Governor, explained that the Governor has specifically and severally directed the Commissioner for Housing and Special Duties, Mr. Akan Okon to ensure the completion of the Four Point Hotel at Ikot Ekpene for last Christmas activities.
“I can tell you as an executive member that since June last year the Governor has been on the neck of the commissioner for special duties because he gave him December deadline that he wants to use the hotel in Ikot Ekpene for the functions of Christmas and there was no monthly executive that the Governor did not put the commissioner on the spot.”
Asked if there was a communication gap between the Governor and Senator Akpabio, the commissioner said, “there is no communication gap between Governor Udom Emmanuel and Senator Akpabio”.
“The Senator is no more in government in the state ; he is not in the Executive council; he does not sit down at our various meetings to hear the efforts put in place and nobody including the governor owes him that daily responsibility of briefing the Senator,” he pointed out.
However, Udo Silas has disagreed with the critics of Akpabio for complaining about the marginalization of Ikot Ekpene senatorial district.
Akpabio had declared that “2018 is less than one year to election. All is not well. Don’t allow anybody to deceive you that all is well.” This message went viral in different social media platforms.
Writing under the title: Politics of Truth in the Akpabio/Udom Matrix, Silas, a one-time General Manager of Akwa Ibom Newspaper Corporation during Akpabio’s era, argued “That may be why Godwill Akpabio chose to say the truth, in his now viral statement supposedly at an interaction with youths of his senatorial district.
“All is not well; don’t allow people to tell you that all is well. All is not well. You have mentioned a hotel in Ikot Ekpene. If it is allowed to rust, is that a good thing? What of the road from Uyo to Ikot Ekpene? At least one lane should have been completed.
“Let me ask; for the 2018 budget, what is the percentage for Ikot Ekpene senatorial district? I don’t have any aspiration to control a state. I had finished my two terms and left. So, my job is to tell the truth; because if at this age I am not telling the truth, automatically, I am not leading you well” Akpabio said.
Akpabio knows the truth. We the people know the truth. But he still needed to say the truth.
But there is always a motive to truth. Why did Akpabio seek to tell this truth about all not being well? Why at this time?” Silas concluded.
From all indications, some politicians and bystanders in and outside the state are giving the political fight between Akpabio and Udom undue warts- tribal, trivial and selfish colourations. A lot of fallacies tainted with parochial and partisan interests garb their stand and arguments.
