Akwa Ibom: Opposition Plans Exposed

These are indeed intriguing times in the politics of Akwa Ibom State. As the 2011 gubernatorial election draws closer, the remnant of opposition in the state has become very desperate in their bid to 'snatch' power from incumbent Governor Godswill Akpabio. In their desperation, they have gone after the Governor with a tar brush with the hope that some dirt would stick, all in a bid to occupy the Hilltop Mansion. The recurring theme in their disingenuous plot is to pitch President Goodluck Jonathan against Governor Akpabio, hoping that they would become the beneficiaries in the ensuing contrived political wrangle.

Not too long ago, residents of Uyo were surprised to wake up and find the posters of Governor Akpabio adorning strategic locations in the state proclaiming that the Governor was aspiring to be President of Nigeria in 2011. Even though the Governor had not declared an intention to run for a second term then, it was enough hints at a second term ambition when he had declared in an event that his intention was not to build the new state-of-the-art, ultra modern Governor's lodge for another person to be its first occupant. He later denied that he has any interest in running for the Presidency of the country in 2011.

Subsequent investigations into the source of the posters had revealed that some opposition elements in the state, who are mostly fly-by-night politicians, were behind the plot to create doubt and confusion in the minds of Akwa Ibom people as to where the Governor's interest lies in 2011. Ordinarily, the denials by the Governor and his aides would have sufficed to put an end to these devious lies and political distractions, but not when you have an opposition whose stock-in-trade is to feed the people, not with their programmes and manifestoes, but with lies and propaganda and their favourite past time: Akpabio bashing.

As if to resuscitate the old but worn out strategy of falsehood, last week some major streets of Abuja were flooded with the posters of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, fixing the photograph of Governor Akpabio on the said poster as his running mate in 2011. It is noteworthy that President Jonathan had been a victim of such sinister campaign when he was acting President, and had ordered security agencies to probe those behind the unauthorized printing of his supposed campaign posters at a time he had declared that his major preoccupation was to solve the country's myriad problems and not 2011 electioneering. But they underrate the quantum of intelligence available to the President of the federation to think that he could be drawn into a non-existent political dispute with the Governor through unfounded fabrications.

The choice of Abuja in this desperate campaign of mischief is instructive. Firstly, the two principal characters who have constituted themselves into opposition in Akwa Ibom State are politicians that are based in the Federal Capital Territory, who have totally lost touch with developments at home. Secondly, it is not difficult to know that President Jonathan is their target audience. In their warped imagination, they think that since President Jonathan may likely contest the 2011 presidential election, proclaiming Governor Akpabio as a running mate to General Babangida would poison the mind of the President against the Governor, and probably as the leader of the party, he would deny the Governor a second term ticket and award it to their candidate.

As stated earlier, these mendacious fabricators do great injustice to the President to think that he would swallow their political spin hook, line and sinker. But it is not difficult to put a lie to their machination. Governor Akpabio has not left anyone in doubt about his aspiration in 2011. At about the same time that these mischief makers were busy pasting Governor Akpabio's posters in Abuja, specifically on Saturday June 5, the Governor was once again adopted by the youths of the former Abak Division comprising five local government areas in present day Akwa Ibom State, as their sole candidate in next year's gubernatorial election and accented to their request to sponsor him for the position.

And just on May 29 during the last Democracy Day celebration, the people along with their representatives in the national assembly had trooped out to Uyo township stadium to adopt a motion endorsing the Governor for a second term in office, thereby reaffirming their support Akpabio's return in 2011. At the occasion, Senator Effiong Bob who is the national assembly caucus leader had said, “We, on behalf of the entire people in the state and in the national assembly caucus having seen what the Governor has done for the past three years hereby move that he continues in the office in order to complete all the ongoing projects,” and through a voice vote the ayes had it. Before then the major ethnic groups in the state comprising the Ibibios, Annangs and Oros had at different colourful ceremonies adopted the Governor for a second term.

All these will leave no one in doubt, except mischievous propagandists, on where the Governor stands in his 2011 aspiration. To make it sound believable, before they had gone to print the posters, they had circulated some wild rumours in town. When the Governor of Niger state, Alhaji Babangida Aliyu turned up in the state to be awarded a honourary doctorate degree by the University of Uyo, the news spinned by those oppose to Akpabio was that he had come to discuss the issue of IBB's running mate with Akpabio and when the General showed up in the state to chair the inauguration of the board of trustees of the Initiatives, a cerebral group of lawmakers in the House of Representatives led by Hon Eseme Eyiboh, an Akwa Ibom indigene, they said it was a confirmation that Governor Akpabio had agreed to be his running mate in 2011.

Not even the explanation by Hon Eyiboh that the event was devoid of any political undertone as IBB had been contacted and agreed to chair the event about seven months prior to the event and at a time he had not nursed any political ambition and that it would have been unfair to turn him back on the basis of a recently declared presidential ambition, would suffice for these cynics. For them, IBB whom God had used to actualize the agitation of the people by creating Akwa Ibom State out of Cross River State should be treated as a leper who should not set his foot on the state nor should he be accorded any courtesy as a former head of state. They forget that even President Jonathan would treat IBB with every civility possible even with the rumour that they may contest against each other in 2011.

As noted earlier the recent smear campaign against the Governor follows a familiar pattern of the opposition praying that the Governor and the President be seen as being in conflict. But they must feel a sense of frustration that the more they insinuate of Jonathan being at loggerheads with Akpabio, the more the two leaders collaborate in the task of nation building. This is evidenced by the Governor being a part of the entourage of the President to the United States of America and on return from the trip being presented with an award of excellence during the tenth anniversary of Aso Rock chapel and most importantly, through the quiet diplomacy of the Governor, the Akwa Ibom State ministerial nominee, Chief Nduese Essien was assigned the lands and housing portfolio, arguably the best an Akwa Ibom indigene has clinched during the past eleven years of democratic rule.

But the Akwa Ibom people are discerning and no amount of campaign of calumny will sway them. If the people have decided to pitch their tent with Governor Akpabio in 2011 for what many have described as uncommon transformation of the state within three years, who can stop them? Neither propaganda nor mischievous fabrication