Ekpenyong Ntekim, ors may quit cabinet

 

Following the riot act read to the State Executive Council members by the State Governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio that any member of his Executive Council that wishes to contest the 2015 governorship should quit by tendering a resignation, it has become quite obvious that his Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Barr. Ekpenyong Ntekim and others who are eyeing the 2015 governorship may quit the state Exco.

 

Governor, Godswill Akpabio gave this directive after he is said to have watched so patiently the animosity that is existing in his Exco as a result of divergent interests in the 2015 succession battle.

Not less than four members of the Akwa Ibom State Executive Council have indicated very strong interests for Akpabio’s job and this has seriously created cracks in the Executive Council leaving so much gossip and backbiting among Exco members with Secretary to State Government, Obong Umana Umana being the most accused.

 

Efforts by Governor Akpabio to take charge of his Executive Council as pertaining to the 2015 succession plan had often failed as his Exco members had been engaging in series of nocturnal meetings aimed at outwitting each other. The level of confusion rose so high that Exco members began to see each other as enemies instead of partners.

 

Some cabinet members almost became too powerful to a point were a noticeable vacuum in the State Exco was observed.  The challenge grew so high especially when the Governor almost abandoned Uyo for Abuja with the excuse that he is of the first line of defense of the President.

 

But unknown to the state Exco members, while they were locked in a battle of wits-intrigues and politricks, Governor Akpabio was being detailed and was following the in-house war with religious tolerance, THE INK had gathered from a top hierarchy of the PDP quite close to the state Governor.  When the Governor, according to a source was fed up with the war and the complains that came from the Executive Council, he decided to step up his acts and then called his Exco to order by reading this riot act of resignation to them.  This position of Governor Akpabio a source maintained has really rattled some of his Exco members who this reporter learnt have since retreated on their guber ambition.

 

At the last count, the latest Exco member to join the race is the State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Barr. Ekpenyong Ntekim. Although Ntekim has tried severally to deny his intent, he may be leading the pack of commissioners who will resign to prepare for the 2015 guber.