Ikot Abasi People Never Betrayed Nsima Ekere   – Hon. Uduak Odudoh

Still savoring the 2019 electoral victory which returned Governor Udom Emmanuel and himself to office for a second term of four years, Member representing Ikot Abasi/Eastern Obollo State Constituency in the State House of Assembly, Hon Uduak Odudoh has dismissed as laughable, the insinuation that Obong Nsima Ekere’s kinsmen betrayed him by voting against him in the last general election.

The lawmaker, who stated this during an exclusive interview with Crystal Express, however described the people of Ikot Abasi as patriotic and futuristic in their calculation.

Obong Nsima Ekere who contested the last general election on the platform of All Progressives Congress, APC, lost woefully to Governor Udom Emmanuel even in his Country home in Ikot Abasi and his choice for the state assembly seat also lost to the incumbent House member who is on his second term.

Odudoh who stated that politics should be devoid of sentiments but interest noted that Ekere’s choice to do one term as Governor was the beginning of his rejection as Ikot Abasi people will rather wait at God’s appointed time to run for a full term of eight years like others.

According to him, “Obong Nsima Ekere’s rejection by Ikot Abasi people wasn’t betrayal at all. Politics is all about interest, and people go to where their interest is protected. There is no sentiment in politics. In 2015, four Ikot Abasi sons contested for governorship namely, Engr. Patrick Ekpotu, Mr. Mike Sabastine, Mr. Benjamin Okoko and Obong Nsima Ekere, and I did not follow any of them, If I have done that, God would not have placed me where I am today. So politics goes beyond just having a brother or sentiment,

“We keyed into Udom Emmanuel’s agenda and secured the victory. During my empowerment programme for my people in the first term, I made it clear to them that it is practically wrong for anybody to be contesting election as Governor for just one term of four years.

I made it clear that anytime in the future that God will provide the people of Ikot Abasi the opportunity to serve as Governor of the state, it will be for two terms of eight years, because what is good for the goose is also good for the gander”.

The Lawmaker and Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation further highlighted, “I reminded Ikot Abasi People that we supported Udom Emmanuel in 2015 and must stand with him to the end. I warned against playing up unnecessary sentiment because we have a brother in the race to the detriment of the bigger picture. I also reminded them that allowing APC overrun Ikot Abasi which is just one out of thirty one Local Government Areas will not make any sense and we will be completely cut off. Therefore my people saw reason with me and keyed into the PDP project and we are benefiting from it and those who joined the opposition party are now regretting. Success, we all know, has a lot of friends while failure is an orphan.

Throwing more light, Hon. Odudoh highlighted, “It was not the decision of Ikot Abasi people to have a one term Governor that is why they ignored APC in Ikot Abasi for Deacon Udom Emmanuel of PDP who will guarantee a better future for Ikot Abasi people. The issue of brother did not even come in but where our interest is absolutely protected.

The lawmaker however acknowledged Ekere as one who was overrated because of his connections and perceived financial war chest.

In his words, “The idea of Nsima Ekere then was a larger than life picture, when you talk of Nsima Ekere, you talk about NDDC, and what crosses peoples’ mind is dollars, pounds sterling and naira. The whole state believed that I was going to fight an elephant. So I worked hard for the general election”.

He described the last general election in the area as the best since the return of democracy in 1999 stressing that it was violence free and devoid of any form of manipulations.