There seems to be no end to the feud between Gov. Godswill Akpabio and elder statesman, Atuekong Don Etiebet as the countdown to the 2015 governorship election draws nearer. Etiebet had in a widely publicized press conference accused Governor Akpabio of trying to scuttle free election in the state through an orchestrated imposition of a candidate on the state. He further expressed deep reservations on the capacity of the state PDP, as presently constituted, to organize a free and fair primary contest among the governorship aspirants in the state.
The former minister further faulted the call by the governor for the youths of the state to carry out a “positive rebellion” against their elders, describing it as a strange value being introduced by the governor to the state, where peace and respect to elders are core values.
Etiebet was to again on October 8, 2014 lead a delegation of elders of the PDP to an integration committee meeting in Abuja, where they among other things called for the sack of the state PDP chairman, Obong Paul Ekpo for showing signs of bias and for fraudulently carting away party registers from the wards to the government house ostensibly to perpetrate fraud at the party primaries.
After the presentations of the elders and leaders of the party, the governor’s camp, who were said to have been most unprepared for the meeting, allegedly resorted to verbal assault against the elders. They were asked to reduce their response to writing and the meeting closed.
No sooner had the meeting closed than the government camp sent out a message that they carried the day and that the party chairman had been confirmed. A grand reception was held for the “triumphant” troupe at the airport, where the governor took time to respond to some of the accusations leveled against him by the former minister of petroleum.
He denied asking the youths to revolt of go against their elders. He said that he was instrumental to making Atuekong Don Etiebet a Board of Trustees member in the PDP. “I was the one, after I came into power in 2007 that called the PDP National Working Committee and pleaded that Etiebet should be made a BOT member”, Akpabio had told the press, adding that Etiebet should not over glory in that position. He further said that Etiebet should stop priding himself as a founding member of the party as he was merely invited into the party by Senator Ibok Essien.
According to the governor, after Ibok Essien had invited Etiebet into the party, Don had to consult his brother who gave a go ahead, which led to Etiebet going to thank Senator Essien with a bottle of “Remmy Martins”. “Today they are the ones writing all sorts of petitions against the party”, he said. The governor, who claimed that though he was invited to the meeting, but turned it down because there was no problem with the party in the state, lampooned Obong Victor Attah for raising the hands of an opposition candidate during the 2011 elections and Don Etiebet for jumping from one party to another.
In his reaction, Etiebet said that he had no intention of joining issues with the governor, who he said was young enough to be his son. He stated that Akpabio was a mere legal officer in a company he (Etiebet) had substantial interest when he and other patriots formed the PDP and then wondered how he could have influenced his membership of the party’s BOT.
On Senator Anietie Okon’s calling him names at the Integration meeting, Etiebet had this to say, “What else did Anietie said more than I am a “Returnee” and should therefore go and queue behind, but then he calls me leader. Senator Anietie Okon, a born sycophantic professional political jobber can say anything, anywhere at any time to earn his welcome and pay by HE Governor Godswill obot Akpabio”.
He made many other revelations in his written answers to our queries on what the governor said. Excerpts:
Normally at 70, I am old enough to be his father and should not join issues with my son in public. But just to correct what he said for the public, I would state as follows: 1. on “he was instrumental to making me a BOT member”.
How can this be true? In 1998 when the Party was formally presented to the public on August 31st at Sheraton Hotel, Abuja, he was working as a Legal Officer in a company I have interest in, Emis Telecoms. Attached herewith is a historical compilation of the list of Founding Fathers and Mothers of the Party as members of BOT and their tenure as Permanent. I am thirteenth in the list. In 2002,
I left the Party and became the National Chairman of ANPP in 2003 and in 2006 I returned to PDP. The reception of which was unprecedented as the National Chairman, Senator (Dr.) Amadu A. Ali, GCON led the whole NWC and a special representative of the President then, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR to receive me back to the Party in Uyo, Akwa Ibom.
You all in the press must have witnessed that very mammoth crowded event on the 13th of July 2006, during which the National Chairman said among others, that all my rights and privileges in the Party were restored. Secondly, on the 24th of August, 2006 the BOT issued me a testimonial, restoring my membership of the BOT of PDP. Copy attached.
Even in August,2006, what was Godswill Obot Akpabio, a mere commissioner in HE Victor Attah’s government. So where did he stand to be “instrumental to making me a BOT member”?
The only thing he did dubiously, was trying in 2011 to remove me from the BOT and to replace me with Senator Ibok Essien, whom HE Victor Attah had nominated in 2004 to take my place when I left the Party in 2002.
His attempt backfired on his face shamefully amongst Founding Members of the Party who told him off when he went to solicit them. This he wanted to do in his characteristic way of trying to bring down elders so that he would be the only cock that crows in Akwa Ibom State.
He is a member of the BOT today by virtue of his being Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum which will expire as soon as he ceases to occupy that position. Senator Ibok Essien’s tenure will expire this year, 2014. HE Victor Attah and myself remain Founding Fathers and Permanent members of the BOT from Akwa Ibom State.
2. On that I was “ invited to the Party by Senator Ibok Essien”, how come Senator Ibok Essien is not the leader and founder father of the Party? Rubbish and that’s the kind of thing one expects to hear from somebody who styles himself “Among”, meaning he does everything and anything to belong to where power is. So he must cook up something to sell to any government in power to belong.
3. On “everything Senator Anietie Okon said about me is true”. What else did Anietie said more than I am a “Returnee” and should therefore go and queue behind, but then he calls me leader. Senator Anietie Okon, a born sycophantic professional political jobber can say anything, anywhere at any time to earn his welcome and pay by HE Governor Godswill obot Akpabio.
4. On that I “jump from one party to another and from one opinion to another”. What has that got to do with the points I made that there should be no imposition, but a level playing field in the nomination process? Or did they want me to join to impose and thwart the democratic process which they, including HE the Governor, who accuses me at every gathering, that he was the product of a primary election of 56 aspirants from all the three senatorial districts of the State, and that the days of Atuekong Don Etiebet sitting in his parlour to choose a governor for Akwa Ibom State were over. How come now, HE says any aspirant who does not come through him will “die”? Talk about “jumping from one opinion to another”, I wonder who is more guilty of double talk in this world than Governor Godswill Obot Akpabio. You guys in the press can bear me out.
5. Finally, in all this, I only pray to God to let me not regret what I have done to these three people - Governor Godswill Obot Akpabio, Senator Anietie Okon and Senator Ibok Essien for them to be what they are today, for if I do, God will remind them that they should not bite the finger that fed them.
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