Idongesit Ashameri - Uyo
Chief Godswill Akpabio
As the 2015 gubernatorial campaign and election approach in Akwa Ibom State, power play, intrigues, inconsistencies and confusion gives a very glaring indication that the race promises to be a difficult one, as both Eket and Uyo senatorial districts have very strong and undeterred aspirants and supporters.
When the immediate past governor of the state, Obong Victor Attah, from Uyo senatorial district, ruled for eight years from 1999-2007 and later handed over to a successor from Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, Chief Godswill Akpabio for another eight year term from 2007 till date, the people of Eket senatorial district had no reason to panic as they expected to have one of their own on the governorship seat in 2015.
The forgoing does not in anyway indicate that the duo picked the seat, the ticket and the terms on a platter of gold, no! They worked and had intimidating aspirants to contend with, but as far as PDP as the ruling party in the state was concerned; the anointed ones knew themselves and did not much to worry about.
No wonder then Governor Godswill Akpabio during his 2007 gubernatorial campaign in Uyo local government area could boldly say, “I can see only two governorship aspirants, and these are Godswill Akpabio and others” funny enough, 57 others were seeking same seat with him, but twice he fought, twice he won.
Today, this arithmetic, which was quite easy for other senatorial districts to calculate, no longer seems to be that easy. Attempting to explain this complexity, some are of the view that people from Uyo Senatorial District got the nerves to seek what was politically apportioned to Eket Senatorial District because of Akpabio’s initial inconsistent position on the issue of rotational governorship.
A PDP member, who pleaded anonymity said, “For instance, when the Ifim Ibom Ibibio, led by the Ntisong Essien Ekidem, paid our governor a courtesy visit sometime ago, Akpabio told the elders that he was not against zoning of the governorship seat in the state since he was also a product of the same arrangement. But when the governor was again asked which area the 2015 governorship seat would be zoned to during the Good Governance Media Tour of the state, Akpabio, in another breath, said he was not a product of zoning but of the people and as such zoning was in God’s hand”.
Quoting one of the governor’s initial positions he added, “Akpabio said, ‘if you ask me, I will tell you that I am not a product of zoning. I am a product of the people. In 2007, 58 people from Uyo, Eket and Ikot Ekpene senatorial districts all contested the primaries and after the people had spent five days on the street, they finally voted who they wanted and said let God’s will be done”, adding,‘ for 2015, zoning is in the hands of God.
“All these diverse voices were because our governor was trying to anoint Umanah Umanah, who is from Uyo senatorial district, which has had its eight year term, and he Umana had been an integral part of both Attah and Akpabio administration, you can imagine how power drunk some people could be,” he exclaimed.
Whatever position Akpabio held in the past has become history and might not have reflected what his heart, as a beneficiary of zoning really meant to tell the people of Akwa Ibom State. Akpabio might have been saying this to dismiss those who wanted to distract his attention from transforming the state to election matters, which was in the future. So it is safe to say that Ibom governor was simply speaking in tongues to scare detractors.
Today, Akpabio is and has been telling everyone that for reason of equity, justice and fair play, the governorship seat must be zoned to Eket senatorial district to enable Akwa Ibom people from that part of the state have a feel of what others have enjoyed.
To set the tone for this, Akpabio, in what could be considered a mock election at the State Executive Council meeting recently had members of the council sign a document nominating three members namely, Udom Emmanuel, Secretary to the State Government; Effiong Abia, commissioner for Rural Development; and Ekpenyong Ntekim, Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, all from Eket Senatorial district which the state government is intending to work with, to ensure the emergence of one of them as governor come 2015.
All members of the State Executive Council signed the said document, except Bassey Albert, commissioner for Finance, from Uyo senatorial district, who is said to be nursing ambitions to vie for the position of governor come 2015.
Be that as it may, the position of PDP and Akpabio on the issue of zoning the 2015 gubernatorial seat to Eket senatorial district, as further proved by Akpabio’s affirmative remarks during the ongoing tour of project commissioning and town hall meetings across the 10 federal constituencies in the state is very clear.
Although some brand the tour as a stage-managed to create opportunity for the government to expose Udom Emmanuel, who is already thriving on glittering speeches as one who is drilled day and night by political gurus, to the people of Akwa Ibom State.
However, people may conclude that the issue of zoning the 2015 gubernatorial seat to Eket senatorial district is a done deal; handwriting on the wall is giving an opposing interpretation that the people of the area would fight among themselves until the seat is snatched by other contending forces who are seeking every reason to move against zoning.
It is no gainsaying that Eket Senatorial District is a kingdom divided against itself, and the fate of such kingdom is never in doubt. Even before the people of the area got the green light that the 2015 governorship seat may be zoned to the area, they had already started fighting and debating within themselves on which federal constituency had not gotten what since the creation of man.
First to stage a press conference were the people of Oron, who claimed that the seat, when zoned to Eket senatorial District, must be specifically given to them. The people used the occasion to call on Akpabio to make a pronouncement in their favour. To reiterate this, president of Akpakip Oro, a frontline socio-political organisation in Oro nation, Mr. Emmanuel Otong said.
“Akwa Ibom people should appreciate the fact that there are three ethnic groups in the state, the Ibibio, the Annang and the Oron and our brothers from other ethnic groups have had their turns. First was our eldest brother, the Ibibio who reigned through Governor Victor Attah between 1999 and 2007; next was our Annang brothers through Governor Godswill Akpabio between 2007 till date and the people of Oron have been very supportive, very patient and very hopeful that our brothers would also give us a chance when they are done, without a fight.
“It should also be noted that Oron men have over the years been instrumental to the emergence of our brothers from other ethnic groups, for instance, an Oron man, Chief Tony Emenyi, was PDP chairman when Attah contested, he fought to ensure victory for our Ibibio brothers. Again during Akpabio’s election, another Oron man, Otu Ita Toyo, was chairman, he fought against even his Oron brothers to ensure adherence to the principle of justice and fair play as far as the issue of zoning was concerned. So I believe our brothers would never forget our effort”.
Then again, the people of Eket federal constituency have quite a different view as was evident at the level of pressure mounted on Akpabio by Senator Eme Ekaete to make a pronouncement that the next governor must come from Eket Federal Constituency, with claims that the area has contributed more than any other part of the state to national treasury. It took a politician, with strong rhetorical power to escape the hook the pressure fixed on Akpabio.
Meanwhile, some people from Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency, although not laying claims to the seat as their birthright are also eying the seat and have made their intentions public.
While different ethnic groups in Eket Senatorial District are busy dragging who is entitled to what has already been delivered at their doorpost, the Ibibio Elders Forum landed yet another position which condemned in very strong term, Akpabio’s decision to zone the 2015 governorship seat to Eket Senatorial District, arguing that he, the governor, has no right to attempt to impose a successor on the people of the state nor make himself a kingmaker instead of handing power back to the people who gave him, the majority who knows what is best for the state.
In a letter sent by the forum to Akpabio and signed by it chairman, Obong Okon Uko, the forum said, “we have noted with regret and apprehension the spate of provocative statements issued by some individuals and groups on the 2015 governorship race in Akwa Ibom State. These statements threaten the unity, peace and harmony, which we have enjoyed as a people since creation of the state in 1987. These statements fan the embers of tribalism and hatred and capable of causing avoidable ethnic strife.
“It would be recalled that the Ibibio, who constitute over 60 per cent of the population in Akwa Ibom State had on their own volition in 2006/2007 based on their belief in the peaceful coexistence of the various sub- ethnic groups in the state voted Chief Godswill Akpabio – an Annang from Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District into office as governor and repeated this feat in 2011. What the Ibibio did in 2007 and 2011 was unprecedented in the history of Nigeria when one takes into account the experiences of minorities in other states in Nigeria where the majority ethnic groups have perpetually dominated the position of Governor”.
The forum added,”The patriotic and brotherly stance taken by the Ibibio in 2007 and 2011 was consistent with the position taken by our forbearers when the Ibibio State College promoted by the Ibibio State Union was established in Ikot Ekpene. It appears, however, that there is a conscious and deliberate attempt by some individuals and groups in the state to take the large heartedness of the Ibibio majority for granted. “These individuals have given the Ibibio the impression that they are pursuing an agenda to humiliate, dominate and emasculate the Ibibio majority politically and economically.
“We would like to warn that democracy is about majority rule and we will, therefore, not accept any attempt by anybody or group to impose a governor on the state against the wishes of the majority. It will, therefore, be an act of injustice to the Ibibio for anyone to think that the Ibibio who constitute 60 per cent of the population should be barred from seeking the office of governor in Akwa Ibom State for 16 unbroken years”.
Stating his position on the issue of zoning, a political stalwart from Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District and former Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Chris Ekpenyong, said, “To people of Eket Senatorial District, yes I deeply believe in equal justice for all Akwa Ibom people. And to that extent, I would say, Eket people have a right to be enthusiastically over- optimistic but not euphoric. For they may unlikely be unable to match strong revivals of political negotiations going on in other zones if they don’t take their campaign away from zoning. They should negotiate with others and take a free mind into the race and make sure over-optimism does not harm their ambition”.
“Even when we, as Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, were over-optimistic that our time was real in 2007, we never ran alone. We kept pressing against others from other zones. That was why we contested and campaigned on issues, not about the zoning and rotation principle, which though unwritten, had a direction. Eket people should know that there could never be unanimity of opinion in politics. It is very rare and, indeed, highly impossible”, adding, “2015 is going to be a fundamental test of our collective will and unity of purpose. It is going to be a test of our knowledge of our history. It is going to be a test of how we will recognise the fact that as complex as our identity is, we cannot be separated from each other. This can only happen if zoning as a theme of compromise is played down and zoning as a theme of capability is played up. It is on this kind of zoning I stand,” he added.
It is sad to observe that instead of heeding the above advice, and tackle issues and not dwell on tribal or ethnic sentiment, form a formidable force against other senatorial districts, dialogue with others as a united whole, Eket Senatorial district is busy dividing itself by tongues, tribes, location, closeness to rivers, contribution to national treasury and being the first to come into contact with white missionaries.
it is reasonably to agree with the prediction of political analysts that if Eket Senatorial District fails to sit up, form a formidable force and agree among themselves, chances are that interested aspirants from Uyo Senatorial district may soon call off their face off against each other, form a stronger bond and extend a hand of fellowship to Oron Federal Constituency with promise of a Deputy Governorship position which the Oron people may consider closest to their heart, and the divided parts of Eket senatorial district may be rendered too weak to combat their opponents.
As bitter as the truth may sound, Ibibio remain the fourth largest ethnic group in Nigeria because one cannot contemplate any form of political division within the three senatorial districts in Akwa Ibom State without having the Ibibio.
Therefore, considering political positions by ethnic groups may only fuel embers of tribal divisions because villages within ethnic groups may someday rise to divide themselves and aspire to govern. This may not be in the best interest of the state. It is, therefore, reasonable to go with the advice of Ntisong Essien Ekidem of Ibibio Elders Forum, that all should learn to consider themselves as brothers, as there is no part of the state, despite dialectic or geographical differences, that may be completely detached from each other.