* The family disagreement and the Annang anger
The last is yet to be heard in the latest rampaging war that has engulfed the Godswill Akpabio family due to politics and the succession battle is the cause of it all. Indications have continued to emerge that the Akpabio family is at war with itself disagreeing wholesale on who should be put forward to succeed the Governor Godswill Akpabio.
The big boys in the fold; Unoma, Sir Emem, Ibanga and Prince Akpabio are yet to see each other beyond suspicions.
As at last week, THE INK reporter gathered that party secretary Ibanga Akpabio does not really feel comfortable with the choice of Udom Emmanuel as the successor to the Governor. Those who understand the system told one of our reporters that Ibanga Akpabio is in full support of one of his friends from Eket Federal Constituency and the bringing up of the new SSG despite hailing from there cannot change Ibanga Akpabio’s mind.
Those in the know argue that Ibanga Akpabio is hundred percent Okpolukpm Etteh and yet others posit that he is Bishop Akpan’s fan. As at the time of press, this reporter could not ascertain whether the party secretary was backing the Ibeno Okpolukpm Etteh or the Onna Bishop Akpan. The argument of Ibanga Akpabio according to political sources from Essien Udim is that if Akpabio succeeds in installing Udom Emmanuel as a governor that will be a slight on him as he is said to have assured his benefactor of complete and total victory.
Ibanga’s position is also cemented by the older Sir Emem whose point man before this time was the sacked former SSG Obong Umana Umana. Despite the political disadvantaged position that Umana was sitting on, Sir Emem Akpabio is said to have informed the Nsit Ubium born ex SSG that he is the man to beat. When the ambition of Umana crumbled due to his unceremonious sack from government, Sir Emem Akpabio, a legislator from Essien Udim legislative council said was not happy and was advised against an open confrontation of the governor. Sir Emem competent sources however said did but the Governor resisted him.
Strong members of UOU camp have hinted that Sir Emem Akpabio was penciled down as the secretary to government if UOU had emerged as the governor. So as it is, the Akpabios are not yet in full support of Udom Emmanuel, the political PDP are yet to size the new SSG up and give him their backing. The fear is that Udom Emmanuel is not that politician to enjoy the backing of the electorate when the political heat period is on. But the fear among the Akpabio family is that the hew SSG is just an Akpabio product who will always run to Abuja to get instructions from the governor if permutations of Akpabio going to the senate and Udom Emmanuel emerging the governor by 2015 sees the light of the day.
Even members of i-11 which the Governor Godswill Akpabio has returned to romance with are not comfortable with the intention of Akpabio seeking to handover to the Onna born SSG. Some are asking for a thorough political explanation as to why Udom has to be supported. The fear in the camp is that they don’t need to back an aspirant that is not sellable.
One of our roving reporters gathered that the pressure being mounted from Governor Godswill Akpabio on his family members and kinsmen to support Udom Emmanuel is only accepted in the day time as they continue to hold nocturnal meetings at night with their respective prospective candidates.
First lady Unoma Akpabio after an initial objection is today said to be indifferent. She is neither here nor there in the Udom Emmanuel card, says a PDP strongman from Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District. A close aide to Unoma Akpabio told our news desk that the first lady believes that if she does not have her way 100% in the choice of the governorship, then nobody can stop her from recommending a deputy for the chosen governorship candidate.
In the ongoing war of confidence currently in the Akpabio’s house, Sir Emem Akpabio is of the argument that he came to the rescue when Godswill had nothing as he is believed to have commanded the financial war chest, Ibanga Akpabio is of the opinion and rightly so that he opened the leeway that brought in Akpabio while Prince Akpabio insists he was the rallying factor for the youths. And the argument of the first lady remains that she is the number one fan of the hubby.
Both men in this drama are the main actors in the war; others are at the background putting on the fire. But despite their clash, all parties have decided to keep all negative confrontations to themselves to avoid the opposition from catching in to banter them.
Going by the positions of these players, it is obvious the internal war existing in the Akpabio family. This internal war has extended to the larger Akpabio political family where some commissioners, Assemblymen and aides belong. This arguments and the failure to agree on the governor’s likely choice because of divergent interests has seen back stabbing and betrayals common amongst the Akpabio political family. Commissioners are at loggerheads with each other, aides are working against the interests of the Governor and the war would not just come to an end.
THE HATRED, JEALOUSY AND BETRAYALS
If this trend that is fast spreading between Akpabio’s men against themselves is not stopped, then the possibility of a deadly clash in the Akpabio political dynasty should not be over-ruled. Preparatory to the just concluded national convention of the party, Akwa Ibom State contingent did not speak with one voice, because of their selfish interests, some of them betrayed the governor and pitch their tents elsewhere. But however, before some of them left Uyo, a serving member of Akpabio’s executive council, a commissioner is said to have hosted a meeting with family heads (leaders of different cult groups) in the state and some influential young men. The meeting is said to have been hosted by a commissioner who hails from Uyo Senatorial District last Wednesday. The agenda of the meeting one of those in attendance told THE INK was the just concluded PDP national convention, Assembly’s men alleged insult to Governor Akpabio and an envisaged contract awards to youths.
THE INK gathered that the meeting resolved to ensure that if the governor’s succession plans do not favour them, they should break out and seek other ways of making themselves relevant in the 2015 government. Our reporter gathered that Governor Akpabio going by the position of some of his aides and commissioners especially those eyeing 2015 either as governor or deputy will fall flat if he intends to impose a candidate on them. One of his commissioners said “Hmm people damned Obong Attah to make Akpabio governor and therefore people including some of us will damn him (Akpabio) to make another person governor if he (Akpabio) thinks he can impose his successor on the system especially one who understands not the workings of the system”.
To this end, it is obvious that Akpabio’s boys may rise against each other when the electioneering campaign enters its peak period.
Battle for the deputy governorship
*Anger of Uyo, Itu/Ibibio Federal Constituencies
Uyo senatorial district Elders reject slot for Etinan federal constituency
While Governor Godswill Akpabio is becoming more desperate in search of executive loyalty and legislative loyalty from 2015, tempers have risen in his bid to also pick a deputy governor for the year 2015 election. Feelers monitored by our political desk holds that the governor seeks to pick a deputy from Etinan or Uyo federal constituency. This action has once again set the tone for war in the governor’s kitchen cabinet where members are arguing that the governor may however be unfair to them.
To this end, some Annang group of elders have made it known that their son may be losing touch with reality even as Uyo Senatorial District have been sharply divided. Some days ago, Governor Godswill Akpabio is said to have called some stakeholders who were in a meeting called at Sir Emem Akpabio’s instance at Ukana Ikot Ntuen in Essien Udim LGA. The state chief executive is said to have taken turns to speak with the few kitchen cabinet members that were present at the meeting.
When Akpabio who was outside the state called, he is said to have made his intention known on whom he wants to handover to. Akpabio is said to have considered two names, Udom Emmanuel the new SSG who hails from Onna LGA and the leader of the 5th Akwa Ibom House of Assembly and member representing Ibeno at the legislative arm of the state Rt. Hon. Okpolukpm Etteh.
Governor Akpabio is alleged to have maintained in his interaction that there are a lot of issues that needs to be covered up and that a very loyal person is needed to cover the misdeeds of the 2007 to 2015 leadership which Akpabio is currently piloting and added that anything short of that will mean bad market for them. The Governor is said to have insisted on a loyalist from Etinan federal constituency or at most Uyo federal constituency as a deputy to Udom Emmanuel or Okpolokpm Etteh. This position of the governor on his suggestive deputy had fueled anger and crises in the Akpabio political family that attendees of the meeting did not wait to exchange the normal pleasantries after the meeting. They hurriedly went to their cars and zoomed off to their different destinations. Before this time, the belief was that Abak five was going to be encouraged to produce the deputy since Akpabio is set to usurp the turn of the region for his senate ambition.
Information monitored from Abak five indicates that the region may be left with no other option than to join forces to fight against the governor’s 2015 bid to the senate especially as Akpabio is all out to deny them the speaker of the sixth Akwa Ibom House of Assembly.
A competent source had informed THE INK reporters that the governor is interested in Okpolukpim Etteh because he will be seeking for his impeachment for the deputy he will nominate to take over. But some elders from Uyo senatorial district are said to have gotten wind of the plot of the governor and have met behind the scenes on the nicodemus offer waiting in the confines.
Confirmed information reaching THE INK has it that the Uyo senatorial district political elders have rejected the deputy governorship slot going to Etinan federal constituency. An insider in the district maintained that the likes of Otuekong Sunny Jackson Udoh aka Jackson Davoes, Obong Mautice Ebong, Obong Anwan Rita Akpan, former deputy speaker Hon Aniefiok Thompson, Sen. Ita Enang, PDP stalwart Elder Ekefre, House of Rep member for Etinan federal constituency Obong Dan Akpan and most others had described Akpabio’s attempt to extract a deputy governor from Etinan federal constituency as laughable and mockery. Our source said, getting the next deputy Governor from Etinan federal constituency which Akpabio is looking at is viewed by the Uyo senatorial district elders as an insult.
Major political players in Etinan federal constituency are of the opinion that the region had wanted to produce a governor and that since Akpabio had taken the governorship from them, they do not want the deputy. The likes of federal house member Dan Akpan, Otuekong Sunny Jackson Udoh are alleged to have opined this. They are said to have hinted in a discussion that Akpabio’s politics is childish, greedy and selfish.
Meantime the Uyo senatorial district elders are said to have maintained that if Akpabio is looking the way of the district for a deputy, then he should settle for one from either of Uyo or Itu/Ibiono Ibom federal constituency as anything short of that will be roundly rejected. They are alleged to have maintained that the senatorial district is the nucleus of Ibibio nation and that it is Uyo or Itu/Ibiono Ibom federal Constituency that should produce a deputy governor for a governor that will emerge from Eket Senatorial District in 2015. The elders have promised a no holds-barred show if the governor does otherwise.
THE WAR ON WHO SUCCEEDS SAM IKON
Akpabio’s desperateness has again exposed the many skeletons that the state governor needs to cover beyond 2015. High level cases of corruption have continued to be the bane of this government and that is why the governor needs to install his surrogates in every available space. The desire to cover fraud has blinded Governor Godswill Akpabio that he intends to instill hopeless policies in the politics of the state, an APC strongman told THE INK in Abuja last Sunday. He added that this is as a result of the plot by the governor to install his brother Prince Akpabio currently studying law at the University of Uyo or his in-law and state ALGON chairman Nse Ntuen as the speaker of the 6th Assembly.
Not minding the fact that if any of Prince Akpabio or Nse Ntuen makes it to the House of Assembly such will be a first timer, Governor Akpabio is said to have been considering either of Nse Ntuen or Prince Akpabio as the next member of Essien Udim state constituency. His belief is to influence the making of any of these ones a speaker. But the serving deputy speaker Udo Kerian Akpan and Elder Friday Iwok who are eyeing a second term with the belief of being made a speaker will definitely fight Akpabio’s Ntuen or Prince to a halt afterall, the rule of only ranking members emerging principal members of the House is still obeyed to the fullest. An insider in the state exco told our reporter.
A lecturer in the department of political science, University of Uyo who refused to be named in print described Akpabio’s politics of succession as deadly political strikes that is capable of dividing the state. He called on the Governor to restrain himself on some issues as he battles to get a successor of his choice.
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