Date Published: 04/19/10

Widespread Condemnation trail Udoedeghe’s Declaration

In a desperate attempt to bounce back into political relevance, the former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Arc. Obong Victor Attah last weekend endorsed the governorship aspiration of former Senator John James Akpanudoedeghe and positioned his son-in-law Dr. Udoma Ekarika as running mate.

In an event held at the Primary School, Four Towns Uyo, the former governor symbolically lifted the hands of Senator Akpanudoedeghe, allegedly endorsing him as his choice aspirant for the next gubernatorial elections, while at the same time paving the way for the long anticipated launching of Dr. Ekarika into the political terrain.

However  series of reactions have trailed  the action of the former governor, Speaking with reporters on Sunday, Otuekong Ita Enang said “all of us at the National Assembly had in the past declared our unalloyed support for the second term bid of Governor Godswill Akpabio and that position has not changed. We had an understanding and that understanding is that Uyo took eight years with one candidate- Obong Victor Attah and Ikot Ekpene will take eight years with their one candidate which is the incumbent. We are not ready to deal with another candidate from the district unless the one we have seen and have also seen what he has done in the last three years. All of us are with him as far as 2011 is concerned.”

In an interview in Oron, a second term House of Representatives member, Comrade Bassey Etienam expressed dismay at the action of the former Governor. The Oro nation political chieftain said that since the Attah had agreed as governor on rotation of the power among the ethnic blocs, his alleged endorsement of Udoedeghe was unacceptable  to the Oro people. Comrade Etienam maintained that based on the performance of Governor Akpabio, Oro people will support him in 2011, and then wait for their turn in 2015.

The two term national assemblyman and recipient of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic honours said it was appalling for Senator Udoedeghe who during the campaign of Governor Akpabio in Urung Uko had urged them to support Akpabio for eight years, with a promise to support Oro Nation to produce a governor come 2015. 

He urged the Governor to be focused on his developmental programmes in the state and avoid being dragged into distractions.

Similarly, a group known as Eket Professionals has condemned the Obong Victor Attah for working to truncate the political arrangement in the state which saw the Uyo Senatorial District produce him as the state governor for eight years and the zoning of the governorship to Ikot Ekpene district for another eight years to pave the way for the people of Eket Senatorial District in 2015.

Speaking in the same vein a chieftain of the PDP in Uyo, said, “talking about Senator Akpanudoedeghe, and the incumbent governor, they are both friends. But the involvement of Attah in this matter leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. Except one is egocentric, one expects justice, equity and fair play in the distribution of power. A group should not be seen to be lording it over another. I know the Attah card is not a popular one, it is an ethnic agenda intended to cause disunity in order to regain his lost political relevance in the state. The people of the state believe in zoning and will not allow it to be truncated by the selfish of an individual or group of people.”

The group in a release signed by its General Secretary, Obong Bassey Willy, berated Obong Attah for publicly campaigning for the candidacy of Senator John Akpanudoedeghe, who is from the same senatorial district with the former governor, who occupied that office between 1999-2007.

“We are baffled at the kind of politics Obong Attah is playing simply because the incumbent governor is not his son in law. But let it be known to Attah and his supporters that we will not allow that to happen because after Ikot Ekpene the governorship will come to Eket Senatorial District. It is all political gimmicks to gain relevance.”

Also the Akwa Ibom State caucus in the NASS has restated it unalloyed support for the second term ambition of Governor Godswill Akpabio in 2011, describing the action of the former governor as ‘the exercise of his fundamental right to political freedom and expression as a former governor’.

Reacting to the endorsement of Udoedeghe by Attah, a former Special Assistant , Technical matters in the erstwhile regime of Obong Victor Attah and governorship aspirant  for the  2011 elections, Engr. Frank Okon  said   based on the principle of zoning,  Eket Senatorial district  will produce the next governor of the state after Ikot Ekpene  senatorial district where power presently reside. Apparently questioning the pedigree of Attah’s nominee, Engr. Okon added that such person must again be a professional. 

Chief Effiong Johnson Umoren the President of the annang elders forum also voiced his displeasure at the action of Obong Attah. He specifically told reporters that Dr. Udoma Ekarika owed the entire Annang nation an apology for an act of betrayal. Chief Johnson said that Ekarika as a commissioner in the state executive council for eight years brought about nothing short of poor leadership and described him as a symbol of failure that is merely playing an orchestrated script of his father in law.