2015 ambition tears Sam Ikon, Akpabio apart

 

*Betrayal looms
* Don’t contest House of Reps seat, leave it for Anietie Etuk, Governor tells Speaker

Following the recent call on the speaker of the State House of Assembly, Elder Sam Ikon by the State Governor Chief Godswill Akpabio to drop his Federal House of Representatives ambition to represent Etinan Federal Constituency and support the immediate past speaker of the Assembly Mr. Anietie Etuk, Ikon has declared a war of vengeance with the Governor and is silently fighting the state Chief Executive. 

An informed source told our reporter that when Akpabio handed that information to Sam Ikon, the speaker was terribly shocked as he least expected such political missile from the state Chief Executive whom he felt had gotten so much protection from the Assembly ever since he took over from Anietie Etuk. 

Our source agreed that the speaker who earlier supported the former SSG Obong Umana Okon Umana left Umana’s camp when he noticed that the Governor was no longer comfortable with the Umana Umana gubernatorial ambition. Ikon is said to have shifted base and avoided Umana Umana like a plague. Our source said, didn’t you noticed how the speaker interacted with the ex SSG when the later stormed Nsit Ubium during the constituency briefing and empowerment by Onofiok Luke last year? 

It was gathered that the directive from the Governor that Ikon should drop his ambition for Anietie Etuk was handed to Ikon last year November in a meeting between the Governor, Ikon and Anietie Etuk at the Governor’s lodge. At the closed door meeting, aides of Ikon and Anietie Etuk were not allowed inside. They all waited outside until the meeting ended. A top source said even though Ikon was shocked at the Governor’s pronouncement that he should step down from the race, he did not have the temerity to question the rationale behind the Governor’s directive that he should step down for his former speaker.

But after the meeting, Ikon while coming down to join his entourage for onward movement is said to have been furious and started talking very hard with Anietie Etuk and puts up a very strong face. A furious Ikon is said to have vowed to his aides that he will damn Governor Akpabio’s directive and proceed with his ambition to represent the people of Etinan, Nsit Ubium, Nsit Ibom Federal Constituency. Anietie Etuk on his own is said to have also posited that although the Governor Godswill Akpabio acted right, but that he would beat Sam Ikon hands down if Ikon ever ventures into the race. Etuk is said to be of the opinion that the zoning arrangement of the federal constituency does not favour Ikon and if Ikon ever thinks he will get victory during the election, then he is wasting his time.

Meanwhile, the face-off between Ikon and Akpabio has taken a different dimension that Ikon has dumped the Governor and his succession plans and the animosity is so deep that the speaker only attend some events because of his position as the number three man in the state not because he would love to be there and also so as to save his position as the speaker of the Assembly.
While the Governor is busy working to actualize the ambition of Udom Emmanuel and makes him the Governor after himself by 2015, Ikon is said to be neck deep in the Okpolupm Etteh’s camp and sometimes holding nefarious political meetings to drum up support for the Ibeno man who is currently representing the people of Esit Eket/ Ibeno State constituency.

A source close to the speaker said that the only governorship candidate Sam Ikon is currently supporting is the leader of the House, Hon. Okpolupm Ette.
Elder Sam Ikon who is still mobilizing for his Etinan Federal Constituency ambition has vowed to frustrate the Governor if he refuses to rescind his decision by making sure that Akpabio loses more than 70 percent of the House members to Okpolupm Ette who is currently the choice candidate of Mr. Speaker.

But the decision of the speaker to fluctuate from supporting Bishop Akpan to Umana Umana and then to Okpolupm Etteh has seriously sparked row in the House of Assembly and amongst his aides and supporters who claim that the inconsistency of Ikon has seriously placed him in a disadvantaged position as the next election approaches. Supporters of Ikon believe that it is a confirmation of the signs of hypocrisy on the part of the speaker. Some members of the House of Assembly have made it known to Sam Ikon that he is a speaker of the Assembly by their mercies and as a result of that, he should not attempt in any way to drag them into his political clash with the Governor.One of the members of the Assembly from Oro nation told our political correspondent that Ikon may afterall be bidding his time and may not survive the next shake up that looms in the Assembly.

It was gathered also that Akpabio wishes to use the Etinan Federal Constituency seat to compensate the former speaker, Hon. Anietie Etuk since he could not be returned as the speaker after the 2011 election considering the part he played for the Governor’s emergence in 2011, and also to see how to make Anietie Etuk join him in fighting Obong Umana Umana whom Anietie Etuk is loyal to till date.
It has also been alleged that Ikon is also forming alliance with the opposition elements in the State as plan “B” in case the governor refuses to reverse his decision on the Etinan Federal Constituency seat then he can switch over to the opposition, APC and contest.

A member of the opposition party confirmed the alliance between Ikon and his party to our reporter but observed that APC will allow due process while fielding their candidates for the next election. He refused further comments and said that when the time comes, the party will make its stance on all positions they will contest known. 

The current romance between the speaker Ikon and the opposition parties in the State has been described by some politicians in Etinan as the depth of desperation of the speaker in getting to the House of Representatives by all means.