* Soon Aso Rock will shun the Governor - OPL
The trouble in Akpabio’s family took a
different twist as the state party Secretary Barr. Ibanga Akpabio’s secret plot
with Okpolupm Etteh to ensure the leader of the 5th Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly emerges as
Akpabio’s successor has been exposed. The deal is a dirty one that if it sees
the light of the day, Governor Godswill Akpabio will die politically, THE INK
can report on authoritative grounds.
Ibanga Akapbio is the
secretary of the Akwa Ibom PDP and is one of the Akpabios that was fighting the
ex-SSG Obong Umana Umana’s guber ambition arguing that the next Governor after
Godswill Akpabio should emerge from Eket Federal Constituency.
The party Secretary very
reliable sources said have resorted to be blackmailing prospective aspirants
before the Governor. An insider says Ibanga Akpabio does this so that the
Governor will see them as those who
will not be loyal to him. While deceiving the Governor, Ibanga Akpabio is said
to be going about promoting the interest of his principal Okpolupm Etteh with
an understanding with the Ibeno man that he (Ibanga Akpabio) will be made the
next PDP chairman after Obong Paul Ekpo.
Checks by the newspaper
reveal that Ibanga Akpabio and Okpolupm Etteh had sworn to an oath to protect
themselves. One of the agreements they are said to have reached is that the
party secretary will work on the Governor and the party while the leader of the
fifth Assembly will use his Ijaw brothers to work on the presidency so that he
will sucuumb to the Ijaw pressure and force the Governor Godswill Akpabio to
support the ambition of the House leader who is presently making frantic calls
on why he should be supported to emerge the next Governor of the state.
THE INK gathered from
Abuja sources that Okpolupm Etteh is banking on his Ijaw brothers who are close
to the president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan as aides, friends and Associates to
convince the president and his wife so as to prevail on the Governor Godswill
Akpabio to handover the party ticket to him for the 2015 primaries. It was gathered that Okpolupm Etteh has been
spending huge amounts of money on presidential aides and Associates with a view
to them prevailing on the president to cause Governor Godswill Akpbabio to see
the need to hand over power to Rt. (Hon) Okpolupm Etteh.
While Okpolupm Etteh is busy spending
money and working on Dr Goodluck Jonathan through presidential aides,
Associates and friends, Ibanga Akpabio has chosen the blackmailing option. The
party secretary is said to have been going round fuelling the crises between
the Governor and his erstwhile Secretary Umana Umana. A well placed source in
Akpabio’s extended political family informed THE INK yesterday in Uyo that the
State PDP Secretary has been going round presenting prospective aspirants
except Okpolupm Etteh as devils and those who should not be trusted, Ibanga is
said to have advised the Governor though some aides of the governor that
Akpabio should not reconcile with Umana, Bishop Akpan and others. The dummy
they have succeeded in selling to the Governor is that an Ibibio person
emerging will fight the governor to a standstill and will go ahead to probe the
Governor Godswill Akpabio’s financial recklessness.
THE INK gathered that
Governor Godswill Akpabio was deceived by Ibanga Akpabio and his stooges that
judging by the way things are, if elections were to be conducted today, that
Okpolupm Etteh was going to win. Ibanaga Akpabio is said to have further told
his brother Goodswill Akpabio that the Governor should vote money for Okpolokpm
Etteh as the House leader does not have financial war chest.
This plot by the state
PDP Secretary to have the governor into voting money to OPL sources say will
make Akpabio confused and will tend Akpabio to belief that the leader of the 5th Assembly Hon. Okpolokphm Etteh will be loyal
to him if he emerges.
A very close source to
Ibanga Akpabio who runs most of the political dirty errands for the party
secretary boasted to this reporter at Ewet Housing near Ibanga Akpabio’s
residence that the Ibibios will not produce the next Governor by 2015. He
hinted with excitement that however the Governorship will be ceded to a
militant apparently referring to Okpolupm Etteh whom he equally described as
having the backing of the Lords of the creeks. “I think you people want zoning
to Eket senatorial district, don’t worry, we will give you and plans are there
to ensure that whether you people like it or not, OPL will win the PDP ticket
afterall he is an Ibeno man from Eket Senatorial District”. The aide opened up.
Meantime, a source from
the Akpabio’s family informed THE INK from Abuja that the alliance of Ibanga
Akpabio and Okpolupm Etteh has really divided the Akpabio family. “The
political romance between my brother Ibanga Akpabio and OPL is not doing the
great Akpabio family any good. It has seriously affected Bro Ibanga’s
relationship with Sir Emem. They don’t see eyeball to eyeball and you know the
Ibibios are insisting on getting back power and Ibanga is not helping matters,
we are at cross roads” one of the Governor’s close relations lamented. But
Ibanga Akpabio does not appear to be ready to soft pedal. Upon the emergence of
Udom Emmanuel as the new SSG, the PDP secretary is said to have hurriedly
warned Akpabio against considering handing over to his new SSG Udom Emmanuel.
He is alleged to be of the opinion the new SSG will not be a good sale to the
political class and the Abuja forces since the new SSG is not yet fully rooted
on ground.
The
plot between Ibanga
Akpabio and Okpolupm Etteh a follower of the alliance said is to present
Okpolupm Etteh as a candidate that is not being anointed by Akpabio to succeed
him since in the thinking of Okpolupm Etteh and that of Ibanga Akpabio going by
the information they gave to some potential delegates, anyone the Governor,
Godswill Akpabio will present as his anointed, will fall flat. THE INK reporter
learnt that Ibanga Akpabio And his benefactor fear that if Akpabio anoints
Okpoloupm Etteh openly as his imminent Successor, he (Etteh) will be roundly
rejected by the electorate in the state
as the consensus thinking will be that the Ibeno man will be coming in to do the biddings of Akpabio. Ibanga Akpabio and Okpolupm Etteh
want the Ibeno man to be seen as an independent aspirant. The plot our reporter
gathered had since gotten to an advanced stage and may soon spill as Okpolupm
Etteh have perfected plans to use his position as the leader of the House to
force other members especially the ones seen as weak ones to begin to mobilize
support for him. Already, some members of the House have started addressing OPL
as His Excellency and the House leader is said to be responding to such name
with pride and excitement. A source said Akpabio’s gradual forced closeness to
Okpolupm Etteh must have informed his acceptance to nominate the House leader
into the planning committee of the just concluded PDP mini converge were
Okpolupm Etteh emerged as the Deputy chairman of the committee and equally
headed some sub committees. While serving in the committee, the House leader
was busy making contacts and preaching his message of 2015 and how he intends
to succeed Governor Godswill Akpabio.
One of the Northerners
Okpolupm Etteh discussed with informed our reporter that OPL was able to take
care of them very fine and he believes that the Olgette boss will do them well
when he succeeds Governor Godswill Akpabio. Our source said, the man (referring
to OPL) is so sure of himself that he even confided in some of them that his
connection to the seat of the nation’s power is second to none in the state.
Okpolupm Etteh was quoted to have said that sooner or later, the President will
desert Governor Akpabio. Our source said, “how is Uyo and the politics there,
do you know one Etteh? He is a member of the House of Assembly and he wants to
emerge as Governor, do you know the Ijaw connections he has? He said your
Governor is not doing well there, find out and let me know”. Continuing, our
source said, “I want to introduce him to one big man in my state. Etteh told me
that your Governor (referring to Governor Akpabio) is not supporting him but
that almost all the people in your state are with him including members of your
Akpabio family”
However, unknown to Akpabio while he
is busy protecting and defending the interest of the president Dr. Goodluck Jonthan,
the leader of the 5th Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Hon Okpolupm
Etteh is said to be busy working round the clock secretly plotting to bring
down the Governor before president Goodluck Jonathan. A source in Aso Rock
villa while exchanging views with one of our reporters said Okpolukpm Etteh is
selling the ethnic card to the presidency, Okpolukpm Etteh is alleged to
be informing his Aso Rock foot soldiers
that Akpabio is a tribalist, an ethnicist and one running a one man show in the state. Etteh a
competent source who hails from Delta State and works in the presidency said
has been informing them (presidential aides) that Akpabio is the cause of the
president’s numerous problems and had even suggested that the presidency should
let go the Akwa Ibom Governor.
Sources close to
Okpolupm Etteh had even confided in the newspaper that the house leader had
even informed them that sooner or later, the president will desert Akpabio and
then the governor will fail to produce his successor and or will have no other
choice than to support him. Okpolupm Etteh is quoted to have said that he is
confident of emerging the next Governor by 2015, when queried that the
presidency and the Abuja forces of PDP will back Akpabio to produce his choice
successor, Okpolupm Etteh is said to have hinted some kitchen members of his
governorship quest that sooner or later both the presidency and the Abuja
forces of PDP will drop Akpabio and the state Governor will be left bare. An
Ibeno man quite close to OPL confirmed this when he told our reporter that
Okpolupm Etteh has gone far in his consultations, he informed that the
presidency will force Akpabio to back Okpolupm Etteh. One of OPL backers said
the presidency will have to sacrifice Akpabio as the Chairman of the PDP Governors
forum and also keep him at arm’s length in order to reconcile warring factions
in the party and see to the unity of the party. OPL backers believe that
Goodluck Jonathan is having problems in the party because of Akpabio, Dame
Patience Jonathan, Bamanga Tukur and a few other loyalists to the president.
One of them said, the utterances of these persons are building more foes for
the president Dr. Jonathan.
Competent sources
informed THE INK that Ibanga Akpabio and Okpolupm Etteh are on oath (mbiam) and
that the party secretary has been promised to be made the next PDP State
chairman if his actions succeed in getting the PDP ticket for Okpolupm Etteh.
An official of the State PDP who spoke with THE INK last night said Ibanga
Akabio is a big disappointment by indulging in antics that are capable of
creating disunity in the state. Our PDP State Officer said he is totally
disappointed that Ibanga Akpabio who was drafted into the party by the Governor
Godswill Akpabio could plot against the Governor, he added that the PDP is not
stupid that it cannot hand the party into the hands of Ibanga Akpabio when
there are better party men in the state.
Said he “my newspaper
man, esuk ewed mkpo, let me tell you, if Ibanga Akpabio likes let him go to a
witch doctor, he can’t emerge the next party Chairman and for OPL, I reserve my
comment, but let me tell you that he won’t win. Information monitored from the
office of Obong Paul Ekpo State party chairman of the PDP indicates that the
party will go for a sound and credible person from Eket Senatorial district
especially as the Governor Godswill Akpabio had shown the direction when he
addressed delegates and none delegates at Akwa Ibom House during the last PDP
Mini Converge.
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