A QUIET war is simmering in Akwa Ibom State. The three senatorial districts, Uyo, Eket and Ikot Ekpene are warring over who should produce the next governor of the state in 2015.Since the creation of the state in 1987, only Uyo senatorial district and Ikot Ekpene senatorial district have produced governors, who served two terms each between 1999 and 2011, albeit with the cooperation and political understanding of Eket.In 1999 and 2003, the Uyo Senatorial district produced the governor in the person of Obong Victor Attah while in 2007 and 2011, Ikot Ekpene zone produced the incumbent governor Chief Godswill Akpabio.The stakeholders in Eket hope that on the principle of equity, fair play and political harmony, Uyo and Ikot Ekpene senatorial zones should support Eket senatorial zone to produce the governor in 2015.Despite this position, dissenting voices have emerged in some quarters. In Uyo Senatorial district, the incumbent Secretary to the State Government and former Commissioner of Finance in the Attah administration, Obong Umana Umana, the immediate past senator for the district, Senator Effiong Bob, have indicated interest to run for the governor's seat in 2015.Umana is a close associate of Akpabio and it is widely speculated that the governor is in a fix on whether to support him or those who might aspire to run for the office. In the meantime, among those associated with the race are the incumbent deputy governor, Obong Nsima Ekere, former Chairman of Local Government Commission Mr. Anweidighe-Abasi Adiakpan, former State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Otu Ita Toyo, former Chairman of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and legal practitioner Mr. Dan Abia, former Deputy Chairman of the party in the State Bishop Samuel Akpan, a one-time governorship candidate in the state, Mr. Larry Esin.There are speculations that the governor is reaching out to some members of the State House of Assembly, some members of the state executive council and other top politicians in the state to put a seal on who becomes governor in 2015. His intention according to sources is to carry everyone along in order to forge a united front on the matter.As the people in Eket insist that the 2015 governorship slot belongs to them, a likely aspirant, Mr. Adiakpan has charged political chieftains in the Senatorial District to have a rethink about the injustice, deceit and denial brandished on them by Uyo and Ikot Ekpene districts.Adiakpan, who formally declared his ambition at a consultative meeting on the 2015 governorship race, said, 'it is the turn of Eket Senatorial District to take a shot at the governorship position at the end of Akpabio's tenure.'There is power shift arrangement that has been in operation since the advent of present administrative dispensation and for whatever reasons Eket Senatorial District will not let this opportunity pass by.'We will not compromise nor negotiate as all amounts of blackmail, intrigues and power play by a particular section of the state will fall like a pack of card.'What makes them think we don't have competent hands to sustain the tempo of infrastructural and industrial development currently prosecuted by Akpabio''Adiakpan said if given the opportunity the zone will offer a focused and visionary leadership that will take the state beyond the height the other zones have taken it.On the bid to liaise and seek the cooperation of the other zones, he said, 'the appropriate machinery has been put in place to consult, synergise and make overtures to our brothers in Ikot Ekpene and Uyo senatorial districts on the need to support truth, justice and equity in the struggle.'We supported them at various times to assume the top job, now that is our turn to take a shot at the governorship, and nobody can change the rules after the game had begun. The tripod formula is operational in the state, the power shift is based on senatorial district not ethnic blocks.'Attah comes from Uyo, Akpabio represents Ikot Ekpene and it behooves all patriotic individuals that after Akpabio's tenure, Eket should take a shot at the governorship.'At the forum to build on the aspiration of the zone, a group, 'Nsit Ubium Political Elders,' promised the Eket will sustain all good and sustainable programmes initiated by Akpabio and do more to sustain the standards already set in the state.The group scored Akpabio high especially on infrastructural development and industrialisation policy to strengthen the economy, and noted that the free and compulsory education policy is the greatest legacy any government can bequeath on the youths.He promised to sustain all programmes initiated by Akpabio and do more to sustain the high standard that has been set in the state.Umana has been doing his homework consultations since 2011 for the 2015 governorship race and a group, 'Nsit Ubium Political Elders,' in a meeting resolved to stand by and support the political ambition of Obong Umana.Meanwhile there are arguments that the so called zoning in the state does not hold water because, 'at no time in the political history of Akwa Ibom had the governorship position been ever zoned to any area.'For instance, in 1991, although the eventual winner of the governorship election, the late Obong Akpan Isemin came from Uyo Senatorial District, other contestants such as Chief Ekong Etuk from Etinan, which is also in Uyo Senatorial District contested. Chief Sunday U Akpan from Ikono contested. This was to show that the position was not zoned to Uyo District.'Also in 1999 contestants came from all parts of the state on the platform of the PDP to contest the governorship position. It was as a result of this that politicians such as Attah, Benjamin Okoko from Eket Senatorial District, and Dr. Ekeng Anamdu were cleared to contest.'In 2007, Akpabio emerged the winner of the primary out of the 58 other contestants that aspired for the position. In that year, the incumbent contested along with Akpabio and lost narrowly.'It is clear that at no time had the governorship position in Akwa Ibom been zoned. It is a fallacy for any group, zone or senatorial district to clamour for the zoning of the 2015.'But it is maintained that the Attah administration declared that the governorship ticket in 2007 was for the Ikot Ekpene senatorial and even when others in other zones contested, there was clear direction on where to go and Akpabio emerged. The same scenario happened when Attah contested in 1999.It is in this regard that political stalwarts in Eket have challenged Akpabio and the PDP in the state to be bold enough to declare that the 2015 ticket belongs to Eket district just as was the case when he emerged.
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