By Akakan Umoh
The outcome of the just-concluded local government elections in Akwa Ibom was a sour taste in the mouths of both elected and appointed persons from the state under All Progressives Congress (APC) canopy, Straightnews has found out.
To most of them domiciling in Abuja, the elections were litmus test in gauging their popularity at the grassroot of the state.
In struggling to find their feet on the political canvas, the politicians were flattened as their experience portrayed a woeful outing as Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in their well-crafted ‘‘Carry Go’’ machinery swept the 30 Chairmanship seats leaving one to APC in Akwa Ibom.
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A total of 31 Chairmanship and 368 councillorship candidates vied for the positions under the 12 political parties cleared by Akwa Ibom Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC).
When the chirps were down, candidates of APC and PDP filled the dotted lines and campaigned for the thrones, while candidates of the 10 political parties dashed into hibernation.
Straightnews discovered that Akwa Ibom boasts of more than 200 persons both elected and appointed ranging from the Minister, Commissioners in Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), commissions, boards, parastatals and Federal Civil Service to Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants and Personal Assistants under President Bola Tinubu APC administration.
However, last Saturday’s local government elections became a raging wind that exposed the anus of a chicken as most appointees and elected persons lost their units and electoral wards to PDP, while others struggled against the PDP tide to emerge victorious.
Our online newspaper learnt that Dr. Patrick Umoh representing Ikot Ekpene/Essien Udim/Obot Akara Federal Constituency and Hon. Clement Jimbo representing Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika Federal Constitutnecy, all under APC, could not deliver their wards.
Straightnews gathered from a reliable source that the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Obongemem Ekperikpe Ekpo was lucky to have secured Ito Ward 3 in Ika Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom for his councillorship candidate.
A source to the Minister told the online newspaper that the councillorship win ‘saved’ the Minister as a high -ranking political office holder in the area from embarrassment.
Yet, Obong Saviour Enyiekere, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, failed to secure victory for his councillorship candidate for Urban Ward 1 in Ika. He was flattened by PDP candidate.
Similarly, the Pro-Chancellor of University of Calabar, DIG Udom Ekpoudom (rtd) could not grab his ward in Etim Ekpo Local Government Area as PDP harvested it.
Same to Victor Antai, Executive Director of Projects of the NDDC of Mbo, Eunice Thomas, Non-Executive Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) of Ibeno and Emem Usoro, Deputy Governor (Operations), Central Bank of Nigeria of Ikono, among others were roundly cracked by PDP’s machines.
APC in Akwa Ibom
Meanwhile, an APC chieftain in Akwa Ibom State has thanked Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State for “saving” the Senate President Godswill Akpabio from “a huge political embarrassment” in the local elections in the state.
“Let me begin by thanking Governor Umo Eno for allowing the APC candidate win the Local Government election in Essien Udim LGA, Senator Akpabio’s LGA,” the APC chieftain, Etim Etim, said in an article he wrote on Sunday about the elections.
The politician said he had warned the APC members in Akwa Ibom two months ago “not to waste their energy, money and time to contest the council elections because PDP would naturally sweep the polls.”
He said the APC in Akwa Ibom was “too weak, factionalised, demoralised, demotivated and despondent to win any election.”
“By allowing (the) APC to win in Akpabio’s backyard, Gov. Umo Eno has saved the Senate President a huge political embarrassment, cemented the cordial relationship between the two leaders and formally signalled the nature of the game that would be played in 2027.
“A political alliance is being constructed between the Senate President and the governor, and this will shape the politics of 2027,” Mr Etim added.
