2015: No zoning arrangement for Ikono/Ini Federal seat

The people of Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency under the aegis of Ikono/Ini Peace Ambassadors (IIPA) has made their position of anti-zoning known in the federal seat of the area come 2015 election.

In a press release signed by the Publicity Secretary of the group, Mr Kufre Peters and made available to newsmen in Uyo on Monday.

The group in its release opined that in 2015, the contest should not be limited to aspirants from only one Local Government of the Federal Constituency, rather it should be opened as usual to aspirants from the two LGAs, making the Federal Constituency.

According to the release, the group said that, elections for the federal seat of the area have always been contested by sons and daughters of both Ikono and Ini LGAs respectively and at no time as the elections of the area for the federal seat been contested by a lone candidate from any of these Local Governments Areas, except in 1999 when Ini people allowed only Ikono people to contest with the agreement of taking over after a single tenure by Ikono.

“The elections are always contested by sons and daughters of both Local Government Areas, except in 1999 which Ikono people contested alone.

“At this point, the good people of Ini waited in anticipation that when Ikono end its four year single tenure, Ini will take their turn but that arrangement did not come to pass and Ikono went ahead and contested and won for another four years term in 2003.

“As if that was not enough, the people of Ikono went on to contest for a third term and was privilege to become PDP flag bearer in 2007.

“Sequel upon this, we resolved that anybody from two concern Local Government Areas are eligible to contest the election in 2015,” the group maintained.

IIPA expressed displeasure over the sentiment by some sections of the federal constituency that no aspirant should vie for the seat in Ini Local Government Area.

According to the group’s analysis, in 1999 two aspirants from Ikono vied for the seat which was an arrangement after Ikono’s turn, Ini LGA will take over in 2003.

The said arrangement was distorted by Mrs Iquo Nyong Inyang who re-contested in 2003 still on the platform of PDP and won. The other three aspirants still on PDP platform, two from Ikono and one from Ini did not make it through the primaries.

Since then, the contest for the seat became more opened as aspirants from different political parties and from both Local Government Areas have always contested for the seat.

 Furthermore, the group said that after the two terms of Iquo Nyong Inyang, she still contested for a third term on PDP platform and eventually became PDP flag bearer of the seat in the area in 2011, but through the people’s intervention and choice, Mr. Ini Udoka, the flag bearer of Action Congress (AC) won and served for two terms from 2007-till date