This appears to be the end of a political chess game for the former AKS gubernatorial aspirant Obong Bassey Albert Akpan following the determination of the Presidency and the leadership of the red chambers of the National Assembly to return to the Senate Ita Enang for a second term. The ex-Finance boss ran into an ambush laid for him by Governor Akpabio and Sen. Ita Enang.
Although Albert had wanted his supporters to belief that his sudden change of mind from the governorship has had the backings of the Governor Godswill Akpabio, the leadership of the Senate and the presidency, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, close allies to the presidency and the senate leadership have informed our reporter that Albert is on his own and that the ex finance commissioner is not a sponsored candidate of Aso Rock. Last week was one of the decisive periods in the build up to the 2015 general elections. It could be recalled that the presidency had said it has handed over the structure of the party to the Governors in their different state. This position which did not go down well with senators especially those who are interested in a return to the National Assembly had seen members of the red chambers hurriedly calling for a meeting and threatening an impeachment of the President. The aggrieved senators had also threatened a move to congratulate Aminu Tambuwal for ditching the PDP for the APC.
Sources in Aso Rock informed that when this information got to the Presidency, a meeting with Dr. Jonathan was called with the senators. Parts of the discussions and the agreement were that at least two senators willing to return from each state will have an opportunity to do so. And that some Governors who are interested in the red chambers of the National Assembly will have the strength to return.
When it was narrowed down to Akwa Ibom state, it was discovered that only senator Ita Enang was a sure bet of returning to the senate as Senator Esuene is not interested in a second term but gunning for the governorship while Aloysious Etok is poised on supporting an Abak five man to succeed him. THE INK can authoritatively report that the sad agreement between the senators and the Presidency has so far locked out Bassey Albert from the race to the National Assembly. Impeccable sources hinted our reporter in Uyo that OBA is just a boy that the Governor saw as desperate and then flew a kite of senate to him were the Ibiono Ibom former banker fell very easily for. Our source, an Ibiono Ibom son who is close to the Governor argued that OBA has lost whatever was remaining of his integrity before Akpabio. He argued that when OBA decided to shut down his gubernatorial interest, he should have consulted widely before accepting to vie for the position of Senate. Our source however described Bassey Albert as a greedy politician who has less of the interest of his followers at heart.
Checks by THE INK reveal that Governor Godswill Akpabio may not be sincere with the senate position he has encouraged OBA to vie for. Those who volunteered this information to our reporter understand that Akpabio had seen OBA as his greatest threat to his intention to install his successor and was left with no option than to dangle a carrot before his ex commissioner who fell sheepishly and cheaply for it. It was learnt that all is not well with the camp of the former finance commissioner especially as some Assembly members who were backing him appear to be ready to take their own pound of flesh from him. Some of the members who spoke to our reporter said, Albert played a fast one on them. They decried Albert’s brand of politics which they described as deceitful, funny and full of betrayals. They observed that OBA had better shut himself out of any elective position and wait for a government that will wish to absorb him into an appointive position. Our reporter was informed that Albert’s men view the decision by the Ibiono Ibom man to sacrifice his ambition as one political mistake too many and have called on the former finance commissioner to stop insulting the sensibilities of his former supporters by claiming that he has what it takes to go to the Senate by 2015.
An Ibiono Ibom stakeholder who was once a supporter of Albert’s Governorship ambition described OBA as a dishonest and incomplete politician. He said earlier that Albert was boasting to the people that Ibiono Ibom does not need a senator but a Governor and wondered why the same man who castigated Ita Enang for not supporting his guber ambition was now the one seeking for support to the senate. He vowed never to Support Albert Akpan’s senate ambition as according to him, ECLEM is a simple cheat and a big time sell out.
A former Chapter Chairman of the PDP in Itu/Ibiono Ibom federal constituency described Obong Bassey Albert as man with unstable political character. He noted that the action of Bassey Albert to dump his supporters without recourse to their feelings and their political interest is a red pointer to the fact that Albert would not have been a good Governor. While appealing to the people of Ibiono and Itu as well as ardent supporters of Albert to look beyond the now, he charged them never to support OBA again in his political moves as according to him, ada ado asuenne idem tutu
To make matters worse for OBA, Senator Ita Enang who is the present occupant of the seat for Uyo Senatorial District have made it very clear that there is no vacancy in the red chambers for Bassey Albert Akpan. A source very close to Ita Enang had dismissed the intention of Bassey Albert Akpan to the senate saying the Nigerian senate is not made for people of Bassey’s class. He said, my Boss, Ita Enang is not shaken, he is not afraid, he is ready to return to the senate and that boy Bassey Albert cannot stop us. He further mocked Bassey by saying; I thought the boy was looking for Governorship, when did he suddenly changed and eye senate? let him go and sleep jare, he does not know what he is looking for. He however dismissed OBA describing him as a toddler and paper politician who understands not the rudiments of politics.
Meanwhile, an authoritative source had exposed OBA stressing that the ex finance commissioner never met with the President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. Our source a top class politician in Aso Rock spoke to THE INK reporter in the night of the commissioning of the Akwa Ibom International stadium, friday. He described the stories making the rounds in the state that Bassey Albert had met with the President as a fat lie and a political propaganda. He maintained that if Bassey had met with anybody, then it must have been a certain Jide who hails from Kogi state and has been an influential factor in the politics of Akwa Ibom state. He said, he can speak as a matter of facts that Obong Bassey Albert Akpan did not meet with the president Dr. Jonathan as speculated in his campaign.
Speaking, sources from OBA’s camp confided in our reporter that there is a big crack in the camp of the ex finance Boss. Our source an Ibiono Ibom politician who is a kitchen cabinet member of Akwa Ubok Abasi 2015 said, they are facing trying times. He expressed hopes that all will be well. When asked on the possibility of Albert getting victory to the senate, he said, the senate thing is difficult and however noted in honesty that Ita Enang remains the man to beat. He concluded by adding that, OBA may not be able to stop Ita Enang especially as the presidency had thrown support behind Ita Enang who is widely referred to as Udo Mfoniso in the political space of the state.
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