State chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Obong Paul Ekpo has come under severe criticism and attack again over the recent endorsement of the 2015 ambition of the Secretary to State Government Obong Umana Okon Umana in his home by a section of Etinan federal constituency.
Penultimate week some faction of Etinan federal constituency comprising of Etinan, Nsit Ibom and Nsit Ubium Local Governments had met at the instance of Umana Umana in Etinan Local Government Area where they plotted amongst other things the politics of Akpabio’ successor. Those in attendance at the constituency finally resolved to throw their weight behind the aspiration of Obong Umana Okon Umana. They declared after the meeting that they have adopted Obong Umana Umana as the sole candidate for the governorship position by 2015. A position that was communicated the SSG who is said to have given them a pat on the back.
While the outcome of the meeting was to the excitement of Obong Umana Umana, the heat of the meeting has now been transferred on the state Peoples Democratic Party boss Obong Paul Ekpo. The newspaper gathered that the state Governor, the leadership of the party at Wadata Plaza and even some exco members from the party in Akwa Ibom State have vented their anger on Paul Ekpo whom they accused as lacking control over his federal constituency to have allowed such an exercise to have taken place at this early point of the 2015 struggle. It was gathered that the Governor, Godswill Akpabio felt that action of adopting Umana by a faction of Etinan federal constituency amounts to a complete insult and a total disregard of his office as a Governor especially as the state Chief Executive had earlier warned political aspirants for 2015 to avoid hitting up the party by political campaigns. It was gathered that Obong Paul Ekpo was in the know of the meeting but did nothing to stop it. A situation that was described as a calculated attempt to undermine the powers of Governor Godswill Akpabio.
One of Akpabio’s spokesmen who confided in this newspaper maintained that the Governor’s anger on the said meeting stems from the fact that the federal constituency is capitalizing on their vantage position as the party chairman Obong Paul Ekpo comes from there. The Governor is said to have maintained that he is not surprised over what happened and added that the state party boss has failed to control his federal constituency.
The National leadership of the party a source said is worried that Paul Ekpo has not really put down his feet to work and maintained that Paul Ekpo’s ineffectiveness in managing the party is a cause of concern to them. Wadata Plaza is said to have directed Governor Akpabio to call his party chairman in the state to order.
Members of Paul Ekpo exco who spoke to our political desk maintained that the state party chairman have failed to address issues as it should. They questioned rhetorically why Paul Ekpo should contribute financially towards the said Nkana meeting which was held in Paul Ekpo’s village at the residence of Paul Ekpo’s uncle.
The air of apprehension in Etinan federal constituency after the meeting that adopted Umana Umana is tension soaked even as some major stakeholders of the region have vowed to frustrate Umana’s ambition. A member of Umana Umana’s camp in defence of his principal said, he is speechless. On the action of Paul Ekpo, an Etinan born political activist told this reporter that the party chairman should be pardoned as Paul Ekpo is still learning the ropes of politics. Amongst those who attended the Etinan federal constituency meeting in Nkana was Otuekong Sunny Jackson, the convener, ex-speaker Anietie Etuk, former Deputy Speaker Aniefiok Thompson, Obonganwan Grace Inyang, and Chairmen of Local Governments amongst others.
WE ARE STILL ANGRY WITH PAUL EKPO
But meanwhile, there is apprehension in the state Executive Council of the party as members have vowed to frustrate the Party boss and the Governor at the appropriate time. Reasons being that the party Chairman has denied them the opportunity of seeing the Governor even as they maintained that the party boss is yet to attend to their earlier request of granting them official cars and contracts. A source in the party told our newspaper that the Chairman of the party Obong Paul Ekpo is unfit and ill informed to lead them. Our source maintained that the party chairman is getting all he wants from the Governor but has refused them to get theirs, even to meet with the Governor is a herculean task our source lamented.
The newspaper gathered that most of Paul Ekpo’s Exco members are very uncomfortable with the way and manner the state Chairman is running the affairs of the party and have vowed to ensure that they take their own pound of flesh when the time comes. It was gathered by this newspaper that ever since the present Exco of the PDP was constituted, the team have not been able to see the Governor and the state Party Chairman has not done anything to get the Governor who is the leader of the party to meet with members of his state Exco. “We need to meet with the Governor, so that we can tell him our problems and the numerous challenges we have. He is the leader of the party here in the state and his continous running away from us is a problem that will not help us nor himself, my brother, you know all these are caused by our inefficient chairman Obong Paul Ekpo. How can he lead a group of people and he does not even care whether they are feeding. It is wrong that we have not been able to see the Governor ever since our inauguration and I must tell you our colleagues are not happy. We have our game plan and if the Governor and his stooge Paul Ekpo does not address our challenges within the shortest space of time, we will teach them a small lesson” our source threatened.
On the vote of confidence that was passed on the party Chairman last week our source maintained that it was a fake vote of confidence that did not go anywhere. “My brother as a journalist is that how a serious vote of confidence is always passed, votes of confidence are passed after a meeting had been conducted and a resolution reached. That vote of confidence was just cosmetic; do not allow anybody to deceive you.
It was not done wholeheartedly.” Our source thundered. Our source who attended the briefing where some Exco members of the party met to pass the cosmetic vote of confidence on the Chairman, Obong Paul Ekpo had report that the party Exco met at the party secretariat and after a brief discussion, they came out with a mocking laugh and asked where are the pressmen, how many are there? Upon sighting the pressmen, the Deputy Chairman of the Party who himself is eyeing the Federal House of Representatives for Oron, Hon Nse Ekpenyong said gentlemen we have passed a vote of confidence on our chairman, there is no problem in the party.
The party however failed to reach a resolution to back up their claims of a Vote of confidence. The refusal of the state PDP to pass a real vote of confidence on her Chairman Obong Paul Ekpo and the criticisms that has trailed the Nkana meeting has really put Obong Paul Ekpo and his Exco members in a cold war which is waiting to explode with time.
by Nsibiet John,Uyo, Aks
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