By Mfonobong Edet
Last week, Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State confirmed everyone’s fears when he finally showed a chip of his mind considering the 2015 governorship election. As far back as 2008 which is quite a long time before now, some whistle blowers had alerted the possibility of Governor Akpabio jettisoning the zoning arrangement in his succession plans.
During the build up to the 2011 governorship elections, Akpabio’s position had been that of support for zoning. And so from the creeks of Eastern Obolo to the plains of Okobo, the Governor told his people in Eket Senatorial district that he as a product of zoning will stand by zoning. He even went a step further to say that the people of the district must however unite in one voice and one mind to bring out a credible candidate with proven credentials to sustain on the transformational agenda of his administration.
While addressing participants at the hearing on the review of the 1999 Constitution held at the Civil Service Auditorium in Uyo, Governor Godswill Akpabio has called on people of the state to support the introduction of zoning in the Nigerian Constitution as according to him, zoning and power rotation would help protect the minority. He informed the people that his emergence as governor of Akwa Ibom State was as a result of zoning arrangement. (See National Mirror of November 16,2012) He also called for fiscal federalism and announced that a town hall meeting involving all stakeholders in Akwa Ibom State is to hold in each of the three Senatorial Districts in the state.
Governor Akpabio remarked “A town hall meeting would soon hold on scheduled dates yet to announced to afford Akwa Ibom people in different Senatorial Districts comprising Eket, Ikot Ekpene and Uyo to present their problems and give input on the way forward for a perfect administration.”
But close observers were quick to spot the contradictions in his position.
Earlier on May 29, 2012, the governor in a live television interview to mark that year’s democracy day said that it was only his senatorial district (Ikot Ekpene) that should be excused from participating in the 2015 governorship elections. He went further to say that just as was done in 2006, the people of the state would go into prayers and ask God to give direction as to how to select the governor who would continue on the path of development going on in the state. He said that as God allowed His will to be done then, He would do the same in 2015.
This smack of inconsistency threw itself open again recently when Akpabio had a parley with journalists in the state. Amidst tension and agitation over zoning and the governor’s position, a journalist at the press briefing, had asked the governor to react on whether he was a product of zoning and if he was willing to support zoning, the governor, after dwelling extensively on the various attempts at reconciling him and his predecessor, said jokingly, “You want me to make a political statement here? You won’t catch me.
Answering a reporter’s question at the press briefing, who had asked the governor to react on whether he was a product of zoning and if he was willing to support zoning, the governor, after dwelling extensively on the various attempts at reconciling him and his predecessor, said jokingly, “You want me to make a political statement here? You won’t catch me”
However during the town hall meeting to mark the end of the good governance tour in the State, Governor Akpabio stunned everyone while answering questions on zoning and his successor. He denied being a product of zoning, and said that he was a product of the collective prayers of the people.
Akpabio said during the 2007 governorship election, over 53 aspirants from all the three senatorial district came out to contest, and as such there was no zoning.
But if indications emerging from his body language can be relied upon to make a judgement, then Akpabio may be calmly plotting a graph for the emergence of his Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Umana O. Umana, who is from Uyo Senatorial zone, as his successor.
It is believed that even members of the state executive council who have not shown convincing support to Mr Umana’s ambition have been threatened with a sack notice. Currently, the commissioner for Finance Mr Bassey Albert, that of Environment, Enobong Uwah and Works Commissioner Don Etim are said to be in the SSG’s bad book for not supporting his election agenda, in fact there was a stalemate in an earlier attempt to remove Bassey Albert as Commissioner after the SSG had allegedly demonized him in the Attah vs Akpabio fiasco; Since then the Interministerial Direct Labour Committee had been taken away from his ministry and he is believed to have tendered his resignation letter to Governor Akpabio.
Another frenzied drama played out in the house of Assembly when the Speaker of the State House of Assembly had to immediately call a press parley to declare that he was opposed to zoning, a decision that was clearly seen as an aberration to his earlier stand. In fact not a few persons believe that Honourable Samuel Ikon was forced to retract his earlier support for zoning in order to save his job.
If anyone was in doubt about Akpabio’s decision to hand over to Umana Umana, then the resignation of his former deputy Mr Nsima Ekere could as well be the last straw. There are even insinuations that Ekere was forced to resign as relationship between him and his boss had deteriorated irretrievably.
In fact, it was alleged that the state House of Assembly had perfected plans to commence impeachment proceedings against Ekere and his resignation was actually a deft move to save his political career and keep him in the
2015 governorship race.
Also, Chief Assam Assam who was the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, was after one year in office sent as a nominee by Governor Akpabio for appointment as a Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Russia – a position that is bound to diminish his chances and interest in the governorship race.
At the moment, the supporters of Umana’s 2015 governorship ambition are quick to point out that there has never been zoning in the State, and that there had never been a time people from other senatorial districts were refused opportunity to contest. However they forget to add that former Governor Attah clearly declared his stand to support zoning, which was in consonance with the agreement of the PDP caucus members in the State. As a result of this, there was no government official from National/State Assembly members to State Exco members who flouted that directive. And as a result it was only few discontented people from the unfavoured zones that came into the ring and so were not taken seriously. In 2007, it was only Chief Okon Inwang from Uyo senatorial district that contested in the primaries while others who did same used other platforms like Sam Ewang and James Iniama used other political parties for their futile exercise. In 1999, the PDP Caucus had to compel the more influential Benjamin Okoko to step down for Obong Attah, in support of zoning.
The people of Eket Senatorial District have not wavered in their loyalty to Governor Akpabio, and would only be shocked if the governor fails to reciprocate. For example, the PDP under the leadership of Chief Akpabio won convincingly at the last general elections, at all levels in the senatorial district. Also, the area holds the ace in terms of the natural wealth which makes Akwa Ibom the highest producer of crude oil in Nigeria.
Stakeholders in the area have persistently said that whether in the military times or the civilian dispensation, no indigene of the district has ever been appointed or elected governor since the creation of the state in 1987.
Back at the Banquet Hall of Government House venue of the town hall meeting of the good governance team, Akpabio left people wondering how to trust him, when he said in one breadth that he was not a product of zoning, yet said in another breadth that he personally used his hand to make Dr Alloy Etok a senator in favour of zoning.
As the battle for the 2015 governorship gathers momentum, the God of justice might just be the only source of reprieve to the worried indigenes from the coastal plains of Akwa Ibom South, otherwise called Eket senatorial District
*Mfonobong Edet sent in this piece from Afaha Offiong in Nsit Ibom,Aks.*