Some
analysts have been overheard by this paper holding such opinion that the said
official who is jostling for the ticket of the ruling Party to succeed his boss
two and half years to 2015, must have made huge financial contributions to the
sitting governor prior to his coming to power in 2007 as regards funding of his
campaigns, especially when it became obvious that the former governor (Obong
Victor Attah)was out to install his son-inlaw, Dr Udoma Bob Ekarika.
This
paper learnt last week that while some would-be aspirants, make-believe
aspirants, covert and overtly known aspirants of 2015 governorship race were
perhaps cogitating on some political issues of concern, some members of the
kitchen cabinet of governor Akpabio were busy holding meetings in the house of one
of the governor’s siblings, putting things into place about who will play which
role in the expected dispensation.
A
top cabinet member of Chief Akpabio’s government from the annang nation said to
have been tipped to take over from the present Secretary to the state
government was said to have overruled the possibility of any other person
defeating the said senior member of Akpabio’s cabinet in the 2015 battle as the
‘deal’ was sealed.
A
source who spoke to The Waves on
grounds of anonymity had said that in a bid to prove how tight the ‘deal’ was
sealed, boasted that a meeting held by core cabinet members and some siblings
of the governor in Shelter Afrique weeks ago was not made known to the governor
but that having known about the meeting the governor cut short his trip abroad
and joined the meeting uninvited.
The
source said when the conveners of the meeting saw the governor they apologized
that they never intended to bother him but the governor said it did not matter
that he was interested in attending the meeting hence he cut short his trip
abroad. It is not known what the meeting
discussed, but it is said to have been a meeting of minds and appreciation of
the anointed one.
Within
the executive Council it is either the members are already aware of who the
governor has anointed or some of the kitchen cabinet members are aware of the
goings on while the green horns may not have a grip of the under current
activities of the master towards 2015.
The
said development could smack a political abracadabra of the agitations of some
sections of members of the Eket Senatorial District who had since last year
been clamouring for power shift via zoning of 2015 governorship to their
geo-political zone.
There
has been various positions on the issue of zoning in the State. The sitting state governor has had his
experience when he was running for the office of the governor in 2007. The President of the country has had to pass
through thick and thin in the hands of PDP gladiators who sought his jugular in
2011 because of the zoning mantra.
The
people of Oron nation came out very vocal on Wednesday December 5, 2012 and in a
press conference which was attended by the who is who in Oro nation to insist
that owing to their contributions to the emergence of the leadership of the
state since 1967 it was time for them to be rewarded, remembered, and allowed
to produce a governor in 2015.
Chief
Okon Osung, a veteran journalist, a traditional chieftaincy titles holder in
Oro nation and Efik land and a onetime Chairman of an election monitoring group
in Nigeria had made profuse reference to the position of the PDP Constitution
which states clearly in Section 7(2)(c) the principle of rotation and zoning of
elective offices.
According
to that section of the PDP Constitution, “in pursuance of the principles of
equity, justice and fairness, the Party shall adhere to the Policy of rotation
and zoning of Party and public elective offices and it shall be enforced by the
appropriate executive committee at all levels”.
Osung
had gone, in that gathering where electronic and print media persons gathered,
named illustrious sons of Oro nation such as Mr Lawrence Etim, Senator Victor
Akan, Comrade David Edet Bassey Etienam, Prof. Sunday Matthew Essang and
Senator Joseph Wayas as those who facilitated the smooth take off of Udoakaha
Esuene’s South-Eastern State’s administration as well as the emergence of Dr
Clement Isong as Governor of old Cross River State in 1979 and Senator Donald
Etiebet in 1993 respectively.
He
also argued that it was Chief Iyanam Uqua Iyanam and Chief Etim Okpoyo
Who played roles that brought Obong Akpan
Isemin as governor in 1991; and further laid claims to the fact that Late Chief
Joe Atting, Chief Okon Osung, Chief Dr. Effiong Edunam and Chief Jerry Okpo
contributed immensely to the emergence of Obong Victor Attah in 1999. He said Arc. Out Ita Toyo, against all odds,
fought “gallantly” to ensure victory for Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio in the
2007 PDP primaries, as Oro people; and wondered how that type of history could
be swept under the carpet by overzealous
politicians.
According
to one Mr Emmanuel from Eket Senatorial District of Akwa Ibom State, “if the
claims of the Oro people could be relied upon and the antecedents surrounding
the emergence of governor Akpabio in 2007 as well as that of the President of
Nigeria in 2011 could be taken serious, then political watchers, analysts,
critics and perhaps those who may not have knowledge of what is going on may
likely be waiting to watch the political melodrama of 2015 and how the will of
a few will become the will of the majority”.
But
this paper learnt that those who feel not favoured by the governor are already
gripped by the fever and fear of the power of incumbency and are likely beginning
to re-strategize to stop governor Akpabio from hand picking anybody not tested
by the ballot box to succeed him based on the will of the people.
A
senior politician in the state who spoke to this paper on grounds of anonymity said
it was the PDP style to overheat the polity.
He called on other parties to brave up, come together and present a
common candidate to win the PDP. He said
this was possible as the people would be voting their popular candidate while
the PDP would be busy cogitating on whether there should be zoning or not, and
whether their Party Constitution should be respected or not.
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