2015 Governorship Race:

“Only God Will Stop Umana Umana From Being Gov.”

….Benjamin David, President Loyalty Group

A political group that calls itself  Loyalty Group had last week made spurious claims that only God will stop their principal, Umana Okon Umana from becoming the governor of Akwa Ibom State, come 2015.

The National President of  the Group made this position known to pressmen in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.

He said his claim was predicated on the fact that the current Secretary to Akwa Ibom State government was the “the most loyal, most experienced, most detribalized, and the most friendly friend of Akwa Ibom State”, and that he was “the most tested, trusted and most deserved to be the Governor of Akwa Ibom State”.

Prince Benjamin David as he called himself , said to have headed a defunct political pressure group named Akwa Ibom Democratic Voice (ADV), condemned the most touted zoning principle of the PDP, arguing that  zoning has never been there or respected and that such was undemocratic.

 He stated that the end product of zoning was capable of producing a “tribal and weak leader without manifesto as manifesto will be argued on zoning”, adding, “we are totally against zoning, because we are democratic”.

The ADV decampee argued that the fate of over 4 million Akwa Ibom people can never be dependent on “zoning”.

He stated that his group and Akwa Ibom people will put “every rolling stone and every machinery working” to ensure that many people in Akwa Ibom support Mr Umana’s governorship aspiration.

He said he was the President and founder of ADV and had to quit the group because of injustice.  Mr David said he was a government loyalist and will ever remain so.

He opined that the group, apart from working for Umana Umana, was also out to ensure the victory of  Chief  Godswill Akpabio in the 2015 Senate race of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District.

Asked why the sudden change of heart from flying kite for Barr Effiong Abia as it was believed that the group, said to be formed late last year in the family compound of governor Akpabio in a place called Afe, was expected to work for and deliver Barr Effiong Abia as the next governor in 2015, Benjamin David said it was not true, arguing that the Group was not fronted by Effiong Abia or Umana Umana, but admitted that it was formed and inaugurated at Afe, Ukana Ikot Ntuen, in Essien Udim LGA last year.

Admitting the reporter’s question indirectly, Prince David said, “Effiong Abia is a good idea but Umana Umana is a better idea”.

Considering the fact that the electorates in Akwa Ibom State  were yet to decide who would govern them and the Party from which such a person would emerge from in 2015, Mr David was asked (based on his claim that only God will stop Mr Umana from becoming governor) whether Governor Akpabio has “endorsed Mr Umana Okon Umana for 2015” but he denied, arguing that it was the Loyalty Group which endorsed the SSG for the plum job.