Despite the truce that was at tempted to be reached between Sam Enwang, Udoedehe and other Chieftains of the APC, it has become glaring that there is apparent war in the party. The just concluded state congress went further to prove such.
Two time MILAD of Osun and Ogun State, Group Capt. Sam Ewang on Saturday boycotted the State Congress of his party, All Progressives Congress in Akwa Ibom State held at Government Primary School, Offot, along Abak Road. He was joined by former State Chairman and 2011 governorship candidate of All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, Comrade David Ekanem. Also among those who boycotted the congress which former ACN State Chairman, Dr Amadu Attai emerged Chairman was Obong Engr. Effiok Akpan. Obong Effiok Akpan was the leader of Action Congress (AC) in Akwa Ibom State in 2007 and State Presidential campaign Chairman for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
It would be recalled that Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigerians Peoples Party (ANPP) Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and a faction of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) led by Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha merged earlier in the year and became registered by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as All Progressives Congress (APC).
Though the merging parties recognized the strength of each of the legacy parties, leadership at the party exco were to be shared across the merging parties for an all inclusive party exco. At the National Level when an interim exco was formed for the party, Chief Bisi Akande who was the National Chairman of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria emerged the National Chairman, a feat which may be repeated at the National Congress of the party slated for May 26 while other legacy parties fielded the position of Secretary, Treasurer and Women Leader.
What was observed Saturday at the Congress of Akwa Ibom State Chapter of APC was a far cry from the example set at the National level. The Ink gathered authoritatively that none of the legacy parties had an input in the exco that was named for the party on Saturday. The result was the withdrawal of some bigwigs which however may spell doom for the young party in Akwa Ibom State.
An aggrieved party member told the press why Ewang and others were absent at the congress. He said: “I am not speaking for HE Capt Ewang; but I can tell you possible reasons why he is not here because I spoke with him few days ago and he was not happy at the way Senator John James Akpanudoedehe is running the party. I have also spoken with such leaders like Obong Engr. Effiok Akpan, he is not happy too. In his immediate Local Government Area of Ibesikpo Asutan, he has not been involved in the formation of the chapter exco because I learnt the entire process was hijacked. I have equally confronted Akpanudoedehe with these complains and he dismissed them as blackmail.
“My concern is that this is not what Akwa Ibomites had expected from a party that was seen as the Noah’s Ark that was supposed to ferry us from the current state of slavery to the Promised Land. Many Akwa Ibomites have thought that leaders of APC will put aside their selfish interest and form a party that can throw up good leadership for Akwa Ibom State. If you ask me, I am very disappointed to see that ANPP is not represented in the party exco. I am disappointed that CPC, APGA are not there too. The lineup is the former ACN throughout and where then is the spirit of the merger?
“What is happening now in APC is worse than what we complained of when we left the PDP. It was imposition of party exco and party candidates. It was dictatorship. It was enthronement of mediocrity over merit that took us away from PDP including Akpanudoedehe. I am ashamed that that is exactly what he (Akpanudoedehe) is doing in APC, imposing the exco at ward, chapter and today, the state using known stooges. It is unfortunate that Udoedehe is using his closeness with the National Leader of the Party, HE Bola Ahmed Tinubu to oppress every other person and kill the party indirectly. The joy is no longer there to participate and take the risk that comes with opposition politicking in Akwa Ibom State. He may end up to be the worse dictator that Akwa Ibom State may ever have if I am to judge from this ruse we call State Congress.
“He sat with his stooges and produced a list that was read to supposed delegates at the venue of the congress. None of the leaders of the legacy parties were there. He changes those names at will to a point that some of the people he appointed were not aware of the changes and came to cause problem with his handpicked State Chairman, Mr. Attai today at the venue of the congress. What kind of a leader is that and what do you expect from him?
“He feels that by imposing an exco on the party, he will be able to secure ticket to run as governor. If that is the case, who will vote for him when he does not carry people along? I am very disappointed because I had thought all the legacy parties will be involved in this so that we avoid wasting our energies in splinters political parties…”
As at the time of filling this report, it was not clear whether there was going to be any reconciliation of the factions that formed the APC. What was certain was that the aggrieved members of the legacy parties may dump the party if their demand of inclusive exco is not met. Protests were staged weeks preceding the state congress by various groups led by Dr. Anny Asikpo who contested for Ikot Ekpene Senatorial Seat in 2011 under the CPC. Asikpo had complained that his party members were not registered and that congresses were not conducted at the ward and chapter levels as a step to conducting a free and fair credible State Congress. He had argued that since delegates to the state congress were to emerge from the ward and chapter exco, it would be faulty if congresses were not conducted at that level. Findings by the Ink revealed that congresses at the ward and Chapter levels were generally done on consensus but stakeholders say they were not involved in the process of selecting the party officials.
Dr Asikpo and a large section of the APC were of the opinion that the just concluded congresses at the wards and chapters of the party be cancelled and a new exercise ordered by the party where all stakeholders will have input in the leadership if consensus arrangement is to be adopted.
A leader of thought in APC told the Ink in confidence that: “If these purported congresses stand, APC may not make any impact in Akwa Ibom State. The reason is that even original ACN members including my very self are schemed out. Akpanudoedehe himself does not know because he is fed with false information and impression. The legacy parties already have seen that they cannot have anything from an APC government under Akpanudoedehe and so you don’t need a soothsayer to say whether they will support the party or not…
“Already, as far as Akwa Ibom State is concerned, Akpanudoedehe has an image problem. A lot of people see him as being ungrateful and self centered, boastful and arrogant, very disrespectful too. They accuse him that he abandoned his supporters after leading them to Ikot Ekpene in 2011 where they were attacked and many killed. He left them to his palatial apartment in Abuja only to resurface again to be governor. They are seeing him coming again to make gains from the sorry situation in Akwa Ibom State. So by hijacking APC, he is creating more problems for himself.
“See, the truth is that Akwa Ibom people do not want Akpanudoedehe as governor. They do not want Ewang to be governor either. What they want is the leaders playing the role of godfathers, operating from the background as leaders and caucus for the new government that is to be formed. What Akpanudoedehe is doing is simply a big statement that he is all out to be governor so that he can be god in Akwa Ibom State. That to me is very unfortunate”.
But Akpanudoedehe had denied imposing exco on the party. He spoke while the congress was ongoing. He said the party exco members emerged as a result of their commitment and the faith that party members repose on them. He said the chances of APC winning election in Akwa Ibom State was very high promising to consolidate on the confidence of the masses on the party. Attempts to speak with some bigwigs of the party were futile as some of them contacted said they would not comment on the congresses as they have made written presentation to the leadership of the party at the National level.
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