2015: A’Ibom APC in BIG TROUBLE

 * Party fortune dwindles in Ibesikpo Asutan, Nsit Atai
* Akpanudoedehe’s man bullies supporters

Pundits are worried about the dwindling fortunes of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State ahead of the 2015 general election. This is coming on the heels of heightened fears that governorship ticket of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party may elude core Ibibio of Uyo Senatorial District in Akwa Ibom State as they look forward to succeeding Governor Godswill Akpabio in 2015. 

Akpabio is mending fences as well as oiling machineries at the party national hierarchy to ensure that his choice successor clinches the ticket of the party in 2015.

Ibibios had thought that given the slippery nature of politics that they should not lay their eggs in one basket. That is why the coming together of Action Congress of Nigeria, (ACN) All Nigerian Peoples Party,(ANPP) Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) and a faction of the All Progressives  Grand Alliance  (APGA) in a grand merger was heralded across the state since what is needed to have an Ibibio governor in 2015 was just a strong and formidable opposition party to front a generally acceptable governorship candidate for the fourth largest ethnic race in Nigeria. 

 That hope was shattered after the ward, chapter and state congresses of the new party, APC became a ruse leaving a chasm which saw party members leaving in droves while many others become dormant and less concern about what is happening in the party.

It could be recalled that during the congresses, Legacy parties within the larger APC were short changed as none of them got a seat at both the ward, chapter and the state exco of the party. The situation goes against the original sharing plan of ACN, fielding Chairman while the secretary and Deputy Chairman were to be shared by the legacy parties depending on their strength and consensus. The current state exco shows that ACN has claimed all the positions, a situation that has exposed Senator John James Akpanudoedehe who custodied the process as being despotic and insensitive to the interest of the legacy parties.

The immediate effect of the imposed exco is the formation of Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN by Dr Any Asikpo, a frontline promoter of APC in Akwa Ibom State. It was not clear whether Group Captain Sam Ewang who led the ANPP group to the merger is joining the UPN. As at the time of filling this report, pundits see the APC as none existent in Akwa Ibom State as it has created very little or no impact since its merger given its weak membership strength.

Party members say the party was stronger in 2011 when it was ACN  than what is obtained now. Some members are worried that if genuine effort is not made to reconcile her top shots at both the ward, chapter and state levels, the APC may not win a set in Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, NASS nor garnering 10% of votes that will be cast during the governorship election in 2015. What is worsening the episode is the poor image rating of her flagship bearer, Senator Akpanudoedehe who many across the state accused of dumping his supporters after an onslaught at them at Ikot Ekpene and other parts of the state only to resurface during another election year.

Impeccable sources told THE INK that another crisis that may consume the party totally is brewing within the former ACN league which now holds the ace in APC. Pundits say, what may open the party up for extinction is the failure of its leadership to take proactive steps to address fears of exploitation and marginalization of some interests groups, their lack of presence in excos of the party.
Pundits are worried that the party is drifting to oblivion after it has skidded off the original goal of becoming a strong, viable platform capable of winning the 2015 general election after it has lost woefully in 2011, still not unconnected to the failure of its leaders then as ACN to address certain challenges which threatened the party at inception.

This much was revealed to our reporter during the just concluded National convention of the party held at Abuja where party leaders did not only engage each other in an open brawl but vowed to exert superiority over each other, a situation which spells doom for the party at this nascent stage.

Udoehehe’s man, a bully on war of vendetta.
Elder Emmanuel Udo, aka Mandu, one of Akpanudoedehe’s loyalists is not doing his master any good this time around. In 2011, he was the chairman of Positive Change, a group which advanced the gubernatorial aspiration of John James Akpanudoedehe before other groups came on board. Because of his low intellect, lack of experience and the dexterity that a governorship campaign organization such as one that was to confront Governor Akpabio needed, Akpanudoedehe re-organized the group and replaced him with Hon (Dr) Udoma Bob Ekarika, former Health Commissioner.

He became the Deputy State chairman of ACN when Mr. Aniekan Akpan, then state chairman of ACN, dumped the party for PDP on grounds that Akpanudoedehe was exerting too much influence on his office to an extent that he could not see funds meant for the conduct of the 2011 elections.
Mandu successfully retained the office of the State Deputy chairman after becoming a member of the 5 man committee which Akpanudoedehe formed with a mandate to share party offices to the 31 Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom State. Mandu succeeded in zoning the deputy state chairmanship position to his Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area after which he fielded the office.

Recent event within the APC has shown that Mandu, a carryover of the ACN, is a mistake and one of the major problems of his party, the APC. He is dampening the chances of his party being a united force capable of winning an election. At Abuja penultimate week, Elder Emmanuel Udoh displayed traits of a tout when he bullied one Chief Etim said to have been nominated party leader for Ibesikpo Asutan chapter of the party. An elder statesman and chieftain of the APC from Ikono Local Government who vied for the state chairmanship office of the APC, Chief Kufre Inyangette, was lucky earlier when he escaped Mandu’s punches following quick intervention of some party members who did not only caution Elder Udoh but kept a close watch on him. His scores with Chief Inyangete was that of reading  list of delegates as directed by Dr. Amadu Attai, state Chairman of the party without his consent. For chief Etim, Elder Udoh was offended that apart from parading himself as party leader, he held meetings as such at Eagle Square, venue of the National Convention.

Genesis of the brawl

Investigations have revealed that what transpired at Abuja between Elder Emmanuel Udoh and Chief Etim started long before the national convention of the party. The two party men are from Ibesikpo Asutan chapter and confidants of Senator John James Akpanudoedehe. Chief Etim who runs a big firm in Lagos is reputed as one of the financiers of the party in Akwa Ibom State and was earlier tipped for the state deputy chairmanship job while Elder Udoh was billed to go national. When Mandu could not have the requisite qualifications to be accepted at the national party, he reverted to his former position thereby putting Chief Etim’s interest in jeopardy.

At home, Elder Emmanuel Udoh hails from Ibesikpo while Chief Etim hails from Asutan. Chief Etim is among Asutan people who are clamoring that one sensitive position should be zoned to Asutan people to have a sense of belonging in the party. Currently, the Chapter Chairman of APC is from Ibesikpo. The state position zoned to the chapter is also fielded by Ibesikpo, Elder Emmanuel Udoh. It was learnt by newshounds that this is the same sharing of party position in 2011 where Asutan which has the highest number of polling units in the local Government was traded away for nothing. After the general election which CAN won Uyo Federal Constituency seat, Sir Emmanuel Ekpeyong donated three cars to the chapter at various times all of which ended in Ibesikpo following the slanted sharing of offices.

Irked by the development, Asutan people have positioned themselves to correct the imbalance but however met the stiff resistance of Elder Emmanuel Udoh who, backed up by Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, succeeded in retaining the status quo. It was learnt that all effort to correct the situation has met stiff walls as Senator Akpanudoedehe who was elected leader of the party have given deaf ears to any suggestion of harmonization of party structure to protect the interest of Asutan people in APC.

Tempers flared when Elder Etim was nominated to lead the party. Calls were made that if APC is to win in Ibesikpo Asutan, the party must address the imbalance by ensuring that at least, either of the position of Chapter or State deputy chairman is allocated to Asutan. There were calls also that the ward executive imposed on the local government by Elder Udoh be harmonized to earn credibility and capable of winning election. Elder Emmanuel Udoh is said to have warned Sen. Akpanudoedehe who seems to be helpless and incapacitated over the situation that if any adjustment is made on the exco, he will quit the party.

Elder Emmanuel Udoh is worried that the closeness of Chief Etim to Akpanudoedehe could harm his lineup in Ibesikpo Asutan. Some party leaders from Asutan have tactically avoided the national convention to avoid attack such that Chief Etim suffered.

The Asutan suffering in the hands of APC

 What offense has Asutan committed to warrant a pound of flesh from Mandu in a party that sentiment and selfish interest should give way for inclusiveness? An Asutan source who spoke to THE INK on condition of anonymity told this paper that Elder Udoh complains that when Obong Victor Attah was governor of Akwa Ibom State, he did not empower any Ibesikpo man. The source told this paper that: “when we met at the party to address this issue of exploitation, Mandu told us to go to hell that as far as Akpanudoedehe is concerned; we cannot survive in this party.   He said he is the King in APC and is his turn to pay back Obong Attah for not empowering any Ibesikpo man including himself. He also said he will pay back Prince Uwem Ita Etuk for pushing him out of the PDP. I told him that was farcical and dangerous for Akpanudoedehe and APC.

“he said Asutan people dumped ACN for PDP as such, they cannot have a place in the party. That is faIse and I have reminded him that if such position was true, he should not forget that Obong T O Akpan, an Ibesikpo man, was Publicity Secretary in Akpanudoedehe’s campaign but is no longer in APC.

“I have personally told him that politics of vendetta is not good at this stage of fighting a sitting government.  But all of these are only possible because Akpanudoedehe agrees that Asutan Ekpe be so treated by Mandu. Who is Mandu in the first instance? So we don’t blame him, rather, we blame Akpanudoedehe who we are asking to correct the imbalance in his own interest because APC is doomed in Ibesikpo Asutan if it should be allowed to be as it is.

“from the way things are going in APC, there is no difference between her and the PDP. That is the impression that I have about this party now. If this is how dictatorial we can be, why are we crying wolve of PDP? Common ward congress, one stupid man will sit in his house and collect N10,000 from chairmanship aspirants, goats and yam and then impose such fellow on the ward without asking what a man who spends money to  buy party position will do when approached by government party with money prior or during an election.

That is the sorry state of the party now in Ibesikpo Asutan. Members have defected, others are sitting at home while others are in between yet no leader of the party is bothered.