Umana Umana, immediate past Secretary to Akwa Ibom State Government and a likely gubernatorial aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party ahead of the 2015 general election is losing grounds ahead of the poll. There is crack in his campaign organization following the dissatisfaction of some Ibibio elders who confided in our reporter that their interest will be shortchanged again given how handlers of Obong Umana’s gubernatorial campaign operate. The team according to our source has more of Anangs, Oros the Igbos and the Hausas who sources claimed are out to and have been suppressing the interest of Ibibios around the governorship aspirant.
Some of the elders who spoke to our reporter on condition of anonymity said key offices in the campaign team which is billed for public presentation this year when INEC lifts ban of political activities are mostly occupied by none Ibibio who they also accused of having hidden agenda. The elders are complaining that if Obong Umana is out to protect the interest of Ibibio people, as he has been claiming while on consultation, how come he is principally using none Ibibio as mangers of his ambition.
A former chairman and commissioner in the state who broke the concern of Ibibio elders to our reporter said: “there is a negative twist in what we expected from Obong Umana Umana. I don’t know how best he can and will protect our interest in 2015 if he becomes the executive governor when, as we are seeing it, all key offices in the campaign team are managed by none Ibibio elites.
“You may not be aware but the team is almost ready and set for public launch this year. But who is Obong Umana’s campaign manager? He is an Anang man. Who is in charge of the day to day running of the campaign, the proposed chief of staff, is an Anang man too. What is the difference between Godswill Akpabio and Obong Umana Umana, the source querried? Speaking further, he said, the economy of this state is in the hands of Anang and Igbo people because Godswill empowers them against the Ibibios and if Umana chooses to go that direction again, why do we think we will have it good if he is elected?...
“Two things make me feel like coming public about this. The first is that we have suffered so much under Akpabio. He had made nonsense of whatever is of interest to an Ibibio man. You are aware of that.
“Second is the fact that we see Obong Umana as the symbol of the struggle to regain our lost glory. But if you ask me how possible that will be in the forth coming election and in the light of what we are seeing, I will tell you that we will still be gasping for breath because foreigners and our oppressors have hijacked him. Now, Umana Umana hardly listens to any of us who brought him into contemplating this contest.
“I don’t want to back out as most Ibibio leaders are doing, I want to speak out first and I want him to correct such terrible mistake so that we will not be grounded again in 2015".
Checks by our political desk show that Hon Abom Tony Esu is billed to manage Obong Umana’s campaign. It was learnt that the twist may degenerate in the near future if not properly managed. It was learnt too that there is a loss of confidence in Umana’s team as most members do not agree with each other and some are there to pick the resources they feel can be squeezed out from Umanan Umana’s pocket.
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