Some political leaders in Etim Ekpo Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State are set to engage in a battle with Governor Umo Eno over the incoming Local Government Elections, fixed for October 26.
The embattled political leaders in Etim Ekpo are members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and their grudge against the party leadership in the state is said to have arisen from the Governor’s insistence that zoning should be strictly abided by in the incoming chairmanship election.
As gathered by THE NEWS ACCELERATORNETWORK, Eno’s inflexible stance on zoning in the Local Government elections is said to have put Emmanuel Enoidem, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and immediate past National Legal Adviser of the PDP, at a disadvantage
As his clan in Etim Ekpo is not being favoured by the zoning arrangement to produce the next council chairman, Enoidem is alleged to have resolved not to shift his ground, even if it would result in fighting the governor, to have his way in the next Local Government elections, particularly in Etim Ekpo.
Another leader from Etim Ekpo, who is alleged to have joined forces with Enoidem to battle the Governor and the leadership of the party in the state is said to be Ekpuk Eshiet, the chairman of Etim Ekpo Local Government Council under the present ‘undemocratic’ setting called Transition Committee.
Although Ekpuk was appointed by the Governor, his loyalty is said to lie with Enoidem, who recommended him to Eno for the appointment.
As learnt by THE NEWS ACCELERATOR NETWORK correspondent in Uyo, the grudge nursed by a section of PDP leaders in Etim Ekpo against the Akwa Ibom State Governor came to the open on Wednesday when some PDP leaders from the Local Government Area gathered at the instance of Enoidem to choose consensus candidate for the party.
Following alleged scheming by Enoidem and Eshiet to influence other party leaders at the meeting to endorse one Gideon Uwa, who is said to have been serving the former PDP National Legal Adviser for almost twenty years as a personal assistant, the meeting was polarised into two factions.
While one faction led by Enoidem is poised to struggle against the Governor’s position on zoning, the other group is supporting the Governor and opposing Enoidem.
As gathered from reliable sources at the meeting, the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Science and Technology, Prof. Imo Moffat, who is also an indigene of Etim Ekpo, was said to have queried the timeliness of choosing a consensus candidate when the Governor, who is the leader of the party and other PDP leaders were yet to arrive at a zoning formula for the respective 31 Local Government Areas in the state.
Paraphrasing part of the comment, made by the commissioner at the meeting, the insider source quoted him to have asked; Don't you think we should allow the Governor and the leadership of the party to come out with zoning arrangements before we endorse anybody?
Maintaining his position, Moffat refused to append his signature to a document purporting to be endorsing Enoidems personal assistant as the candidate for the PDP.
Challenging Moffat and others who aligned with the position of the Governor at the meeting, Etim Ekpo council chairman, as gathered from the insider sources, had raised questions as to why the governor should be deciding for Etim Ekpo.
“Is the Governor from Etim Ekpo to be deciding who should be the chairman for Etim Ekpo people?," the source quoted Eshiet asking at the meeting.
Eshiet was also alleged to have confronted Akaninyene Eyo, a former member of the House of Representatives, who was pointing several holes in the assumed plot by Enoidem to give consensus endorsement to his aide.
Eyo was also said to have pointed fingers at Enoidem on the ground that the member of Nigeria’s inner bar was the one availing Eshiet, a chance to pour abusive words on him.
Alleging insults from Eshiet, who is younger than him, Eyo is said to have walked out of the meeting.
With the action by the former national lawmaker, no fewer than seven persons were said to have staged a walkout in the meeting that had about 17 persons in attendance.
Aside from restating his readiness to abide by the decision that the Governor and the leadership of PDP will take in the council election, Eyo has been said to be adamant on the need for the next chairmanship of Etim Ekpo to be zoned to the Uruk clan.
The NEWS ACCELERATOR NETWORK can authoritatively assert that since 1991, about two years after its creation, the elected chairmanship position in Etim Ekpo has been rotated among the five clans that make up the Local Government Area.
Maintaining his ground that the next Etim Ekpo Council chairman should come from the Uruk clan, Eyo has been premising his opinion on the factor that the other four clans have been elected chairmen twice except Uruk, where he hails from.
Given the governor's directives that zoning should be strictly adhered to, Eyo’s cause on the matter has gained more acceptability from a wider segment of people in Etim Ekpo, to the discomfort of Enoidem who is championing for his Utu clan to produce the next council chairman.
Some stakeholders across the five clans in Etim Ekpo who shared their positions with THE NEWS ACCELERATOR NETWORK advanced that if Utu produces the next chairman, it would create an imbalance in the rotational cycle to a point that it would affect the turns of other zones to have their chances at the right time.
It has also been argued that if Utu snatches the next chairmanship position from Uruk, it could take the four clans more than 30 years to maintain a balance in the rotational system.
On his part, Enoidem appears ready to battle the Governor and others opposing his perceived move to install his aide as Etim Ekpo Council chairman in the next dispensation.
As learnt from a source at Government House in Uyo, apart from losing the senatorial election in the 2023 General Elections to Senator Godswill Akpabio, Enoidem has lost out in his lobby to occupy a juicy appointive office in the Eno administration.
It was learnt that he was initially eyeing the position of the Secretary to the State Government that he lost to Enobong Uwah, who was secretary in the Maintain Peace Movement (MPM), a political organisation chaired by Enoidem in clamouring for Eno’s Governorship election.
In the ensuing clash of interest, several politically inclined groups have been floated to fight Enoidem while also clamouring for the Uruk clan to produce the next chairman.
As reported by THE NEWS ACCELERATOR NETWORK, yesterday, Maintain Peace for Etim Ekpo, MP4EE, had alleged in a statement that “The scheming is part of his strategy to maintain the grip of his political structure to use it in bargaining with the Governor second term ambition, which could also enable him to stop the Governor from standing on the way of his 2031 Governorship ambition.”
As earlier said by the MP4EE, Enoidem has also been making entreaties to the immediate- -past Governor of Akwa Ibom, Udom Emmanuel, to clear a way for him to install his preferred aspirant in Etim Ekpo.
After visiting the former Governor in Lagos, a source close to Udom in Lagos had confided in THE NEWS ACCELERATOR NETWORK that the banker-turned-politician had told Enoidem that since he is no longer the PDP leader in Akwa Ibom, he would not want to work against the instruction of Eno, whom he admitted as being the current leader of the party in the state.
Speaking with THE NEWS ACCELERATOR NETWORK on Thursday, Solomon Udobong, the spokesperson of the MP4EE said: “Even though Enoidem has vowed never to take instructions from the Governor, he should, at least, respect the office of the Governor which he is eyeing to occupy in 2031.”
Udobong also said that the people of Etim Ekpo are crying out for rescue from the grip of imposition and dictatorship that have been characterising the leadership of the PDP in the area.
According to him, “The people are tired of the one-man show that has been the hallmark of the party.
“The people of Etim Ekpo will no longer tolerate the imposition of a person in a leadership position in Etim Ekpo.
“There should be a level playing field for all aspirants, especially those from the rightful clan that should produce the next Etim Ekpo chairman.”
With apparent reference to a meeting with the leadership of the party, billed to be held on Friday, Udobong said: “We are now resorting to Governor Eno and the PDP state chairman, Aniekan Akpan, to intervene to save Etim Ekpo and the PDP from the brink of collapse.”
Udobong further said: “The people of Etim Ekpo are demanding truth and fairness in their political endeavours.
“There is a need for all stakeholders to seek truth and reject falsehoods, especially in the upcoming Local Government election.
The imposition of any aspirant on the PDP should be resisted, as it is a ploy to perpetuate the dominance of one man over thousands of people.
The Governor and the state PDP chairman must act quickly to restore peace and justice in the party or risk losing the confidence of the people
Enoidem was also said to have boasted that since the Governor produced a ward chairman in Nsit Ubium Local Government Area, where he comes from, nothing should stop him from producing the next council chairman in Etim Ekpo, no matter where zoning falls into.
Meanwhile, following a stakeholders meeting scheduled to be held on Friday with the leadership of the party at Government House, there is apprehension in both camps as to whether the Governor would be swayed by Enoidem to distort zoning in Etim Ekpo or maintain his much-talked-about stance that zoning is the only way to go.
Efforts to speak with Eshiet were unsuccessful as he did not respond to THE NEWS ACCELERATOR NETWORK’S calls.
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