2011 poll: No longer at ease

But for the declaration of intention to occupy the Akwa Ibom State Hilltop mansion come 2011 by Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, 2011 would have been a smooth sail for the incumbent, Chief Godswill Akpabio.

The support received daily by Senator Akpanudoedehe from groups and from those in the present government in Akwa Ibom state point to one fact: all is not well with the incumbent governor come 2011.

In 2007, political observers believe that Senator Udoedehe used both conventional and unconventional means to rail-road Godswill Akpabio to power, right from the primary election stage, which many believed was keenly contested between Godswill Akpabio and Dr. Udoma Bob Ekarika.

As soon as Obong Godswill Akpabio was elected the governor of Akwa Ibom State, all what he occupied himself with is sponsoring groups which help him to hijack the PDP structure in the state, to the extent of imposing Mr. Uwem Ita Etuk as the state Chairman of the party against the wishes of the people like the former governor of the state, Obong Victor Attah, Senator Udoedehe, Udoma Bob Ekarika, Obonganwan Rita Akpan, Senator Udo Udoma etc. Since then, there have been some crises in the party. The crises are generated because the Obong Attah group says Mr. Uwem Ita must be dropped as the state chairman while the other group led by the incumbent is bent on seeing Uwem Ita survive as the state chairman.
The crisis between the two groups in the state is what will make elections in Akwa Ibom State 2011 interesting and intriguing.

Already, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe and his group have built a political structure across the state from village level, ward level, local government to the state level with the warning that the people heading each of these groups should be quiet for now for obvious reasons. Some political analysts maintain that the warning is as a result of the fact that some of the heads of these groups are presently in government.

Meanwhile, those who constitute the governor's kitchen cabinet also appear to have constituted a clog in the governor's wheel of progress. They engage each other, even in the open, from time-to-time in a supremacy battle rather than help the governor organize his government and prepare for the challenges ahead (2011).

There's a report that two of those boys constituting the governor's kitchen cabinet fought in a public function and when a key player in this government tried to separate them, one of them pushed the man down and was asked to apologize openly but he refused. The fact, however, remains that none of those who constitute the governor's kitchen cabinet has any political value, as, apart from two commissioners and two special Advisers, none of the other kitchen cabinet members can deliver their wards, yet they get heavy patronages from the governor.

Chief (Dr) Godswill Akpabio, though the incumbent governor was never in the reckoning towards the build up to the 2007 elections, until Senator Udoedehe used his popularity and connection to make him the governor against all odds and prophesies. Soon after Akpabio became governor, he proved to be a man of himself; not necessarily because he wanted it so, but largely because he was surrounded by those who never liked his mentors, Senator Udoedehe and former Governor Attah. They therefore, built a wall around the governor, preventing level headed people of the state from making any reasonable contribution in the governance of the state. This is one of the stumbling blocks to the incumbent governor (Akpabio) to win the 2011 poll in the state.

Global Concord can authoritatively reveal that even though 2011 is still very far, Akpabio is already jittery over the possible outcome of the polls. This has provided opportunity for some of his aides and commissioners to make “unreasonable demand for patronages,” from him, under the pretext of reaching out to the electorates. That is why all commissioners, Special Advisers and Personal/Special Assistants are forming groups in their respective local government areas. This, according to a source from commissioners' forum, is to tap some money from the governor who is frightened by the emergence of Senator Udoedehe.

It is a general belief in the state that PDP may not win in Akwa Ibom State irrespective of the power of incumbency if it does not put its house in order. The fact remains that the power of incumbency had failed once in this part of Nigeria during Dr. Clement Isong's era and it's most likely to fail again unless the PDP recognizes the fact that “a house divided against itself can never stand”
If the PDP is still interested in retaining Akwa Ibom State, it certainly must put its house in order ahead of the 2011 polls.

For if it fails to work as a team, the fate that will befall it would certainly be worse than what happened in Kano in 2003, when the incumbent governor sought a re-election under a divided PDP.

Meanwhile, the incumbent governor, Chief Akpabio has also vowed to retain his seat in the government house in 2011. Some of the strategies he is employing for now to see that his opponents are underrated by the electorate are blackmail, media hype and intimidation, besides invoking poverty in the land. He and his men are busy making people believe so much in the power of incumbency.

For now, the only obstacle to Chief Akpabio's second term bid is Senator Akpanudoedehe who is seen as the only and last man standing. Form all indications, it appears that Engr. Larry Esin is now contented with his present position as the National chairman of PPA. Although his party was defeated at the February 2010 Anambra polls; notwithstanding, it is the largest political party in south-East, having already produced to serving governor: Abia and Imo states. Larry Esin who contested the 2006 Primaries at the dine minute and came out third would not want to go Chief Don Etiebet's way, who, upon being the National Chairman of ANPP, having left the PDP, resigned his position and joined the race to the Hilltop mansion and which he failed woefully.

The state of politics in the state was further revealed recently during the burial of the late Ibibio monarch, His Eminence, Usonyin Okon Ekpo Ekpo. In fact, the remains of the late Okuibom Ibibio II would not have been cast to mother earth when the state governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio who was the financier of the funeral, discovered the inclusion of Senator J.J. Akapanudoedehe's condolence message in the souvenir programme.
As soon as Chief Akpabio spotted the condolence message which seems to threaten his continuity in office beyond 2011, he angrily drew the attention of the officiating minister and that of the Deputy Governor and other Ibibio sons.
Though the behaviour of the governor at the occasion has revealed his hatred for opposition and genuine democracy; but why he was upset to a point of threatening to leave the funeral ground has generated many questions: shouldn't Senator Udoedehe, an Ibibio man condole with the family of the late Ibibio monarch? Or, is the governor afraid of and hate opposition? If so, why does he hate opposition? Does it mean that he knows he's not popular? These and many other questions are still begging for answers in Akwa Ibom State.

In a bid to pacify the governor, different interest groups and persons stood up and spoke while the Rector of the Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic who is also the international president of Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio, Dr. Sylvester Akpan knelt before the governor. Air commodore Idongesit Nkanga (rtd) and the paramount Ruler of Nsit Ubium, Edidem Robert James Obot were not left out of the show.
It took more than one hour to pacify the governor who had threatened hell and brimstone to quit the funeral ground, especially as some people were shouting, “se ema eke wed, ema ewed,” meaning, what has been written, has been written.

Meanwhile, the recent opening of campaign office of Senator John James Akpanudoedehe in Uyo, the state capital, with the over hundred thousand supporters who caused traffic jam in the state capital during the opening of the campaign office; coupled with recent development in the state; political analysts who confided in Global Concord have concluded that “it is no longer at ease” because when two elephants fight, the grasses suffer.”