A
major battle is underway between the executive Governor of Akwa Ibom state and
some senior party chieftain of the Peoples Democratic party in Akwa Ibom state
as the Governor has described them as expired politicians whose reign in the
political landscape of Akwa Ibom had long gone.
Governor Godswill Akpabio who was reacting to a two-page
paid congratulatory and Solidarity message published on the Nation Newspaper of
Tuesday, January 28 2014, issued and signed by some senior leading chieftain of
the party in Akwa Ibom state, described those who sponsored and signed the
message as expired politicians who were bent on fanning the embers of discord
and ethnicity in the state.
Akpabio recalled that these same politicians were the
ones who had sent series of petitions to the presidency claiming that the
Governor was developing his senatorial district, at the expense of other
senatorial district, even as he attributed the recent speculations about his
vice presidential ambition to the chieftains whom he described as old men
blinded by selfish ambitions.
The
Governor who was visibly angered by the paid advertorial fumed “Just pick up
the Newspaper and run through the names of the all those who signed that
advertorial. I can tell you will all amount of sincerity that there is not a
single one of them that I have not empowered. You want me to mention names?
When I came into office in 2007, I was very loyal to all of these people. There
is not a single one of them that I have not awarded atleast two contracts to
just to make them happy. But they are the ones using the proceeds of that
empowerment to sponsor series of demeaning and injurious publications against
me. I am tired of playing soft just for peace to reign”
He
said it was consequent on the need to stand shoulder to shoulder with them in
the dirty battle they have started that he decided to throw the contest for the
next occupant of the hilltop mansion open to all contestants.
“Right now, I have drop the candidates I had in mind so that
I can square up equally with these ungrateful elements, let me call them like
that. They had accused me of not allowing the contest to be open to all
contestants and I have thrown it open to all contestants. Let me see how that
will translate into the emergence of their celebrated candidate.
In
that forthcoming elections, especially the Governorship election, I may not be
too sure who will emerge as the Governor come 2015 because of the recent
decision of the National working Committee of the party, but I can swear that
I KNOW THOSE WHO CAN NEVER BECOME GOVERNORS OF THIS STATE! And
that their celebrated candidate is one of them.
Chief
Akpabio insisted that even the children and family members of those who signed
the spurious advertorial had rejected them as a greater number of their
children and family members were in his camp.
It
would be recalled that that 68 senior chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party
in the state had on the Nation Newspaper of Tuesday, January 28 2014 sponsored
a two-page (Pages 62& 63)paid congratulatory message addressed to the New
National chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Adamu Mu’azu
congratulating him over his emergence as the new National chairman of the
party.
The
68 chieftains of the party stated in the statement which read in part: “On
behalf of the teeming members of our great party, the people democratic party,
PDP in Akwa Ibom state, we, the elders and stakeholders of Akwa Ibom state PDP,
wish to most heartily congratulate you your excellency, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu on
your election as the National Chairman of our dear party. We note the
rancor-free manner of your emergence as National Chairman of our Party and see
this as a good omen for the much needed healing and rebuilding process in the
party. We also note your agenda of reconciliation of members who are aggrieved
over issues in the party and wish you every success in this respect and in your
overall tenure as the National Chairman of the party.
Paragraph
4 of the advertorial which is believed to be the paragraph that irked Governor
Godswill Akpabio reads: “In our earnest desire to achieve the success of the
party at the polls, we demand in totality, open, free, and fair party primaries
for the 2015 elections, in keeping with the tradition of electoral contests in
the state where, for instance, in 2006, the incumbent Governor, Godswill
Akpabio contested against 57 other aspirants from all the senatorial districts
in the state.
The
tradition of open, free and fair contest was also in display in the 2010
gubernatorial primary in which the incumbent governor Godswill Akpabio of Ikot
Ekpene Senatorial district faced Engineer frank Okon of Eket Senatorial district and Imoh Udo of Uyo
senatorialdistrict. It is for this reason that Frank Okon is
still in court contesting the outcome of the 2010 gubernatorial primary. That
is the clamour of the overwhelming number of the people in the state.
No comments:
Post a Comment