The Akwa Ibom State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party may have concluded its primary for the October 31 local government election, but not without recriminations, power play, scheming and all what not taking the centre stage.
In some local government areas, we saw full-blown power tussle where some persons fought tooth and nail to ensure their preferred candidates carried the day. This, of course, inevitably resulted in the deployment of underhand tactics by political warlords to be sure they were not outdone in the race.
So, at the end of it all, some aspirants wore long faces, while angst and disillusionment hung in the air menacingly. In fact, though yet to be verified, the media has reported of a man who took his life over failure to have his dream of becoming a councillor come to fruition.
While failure is no excuse to kill oneself, the story has it that the deceased won at the field but got his name struck out and substituted with another person, leaving him in tears and deeply crestfallen. Unable to bear the pain of “betrayal”, he, according to the report, chose the rather ignoble path of taking his own life.
But if the tale is true, then it’s unfortunate that someone who won on ground was no longer the winner when names of successful candidates were made public. Did he win on ground as we’ve been told? Who yanked his name for another? Why did he decide to end it all after learning of his “failure”? These are posers we may never get answers to, because just like every other thing in this part, we will all move on in no time leaving the deceased family to wallow in pain and regrets.
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There was also a tale of kidnap involving the member representing Nsit Atai in the State House of Assembly who was said to have been abducted by unknown persons. But social media reports later linked Lady Emem Ibanga, the incumbent chairman, as masterminding the sudden “disappearance” of Hon. Mark Esset. Both parties have had a torrid relationship in recent times, hence the suspicion in some quarters that the embattled chairperson may have had a hand in the abduction of the two-term legislator.
But in a statement personally signed by her, Lady Ibanga refuted reports linking her with the fate that befell the lawmaker. According to her: “My attention has been drawn to a rumour of alleged abduction of the member representing Nsit Atai Local Government Area in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Rt.Hon. Mark Esset, and some purported delegates for the local government chairmanship congress scheduled for today.
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“Let it be known that it is not part of me to dignify purveyors of falsehood with replies, but I urge the good people of Nsit Atai Local Government Area and the right-thinking members of the public to disregard such news on abduction of anybody. The aim of peddlers of this falsehood is to create an aura of crisis and confusion in order to deter the peace-loving PDP delegates from coming to exercise their rights.
“Let me make it clear that any approach adopted to mar the success of PDP Chapter Congress or sustainability of democracy in Nsit Atai will be lawfully prevented and summarily dismissed. I am Emem, I stand for peace,” the statement read.
But if the recent photograph taken by Emem Ibanga and Mark Esset is anything to go by, it appears they have finally buried whatever hatchet there was and have seemingly pledged to work in unison for the betterment of the people of Nsit Atai. The peace meeting between the hitherto two warring politicians was, as pictures have shown, brokered by the speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Aniekan Bassey, who sandwiched the duo in a photograph that has since gone viral.
In Ibiono Ibom, it was so tensed up thereby warranting the primary election to be held at Christ the King School (CKS) in Uyo, the state capital. After all the tension, plots and all, two winners were announced by the two contending camps. There was confusion in the air. The candidate backed by Senator Bassey Albert, Ekomabasi Akpan, who is equally the incumbent chairman, was announced as the party’s consensus candidate for the October poll. The announcement sent the OBA camp into frenzied celebration, but only to have their joy cut short following another twist in what was an already heated nomination exercise.
Pronto, a video emerged on social media where commissioner for information and strategy, Comrade Ini Ememobong, led a team of supporters of Engr. Dominic Udoatan in a celebration march round the premises of the field where the primary election was held. Many were left to wonder what was really happening given that news had already made the rounds that Ekom Akpan, the incumbent chairman, was being adopted as consensus candidate of the area. In the ensuing confusion, a stakeholder from the area who is sympathetic to the aspiration of Dominic Udoatan described the purported endorsement of Mr. Akpan as consensus candidate as false, maintaining that at no time was there any meeting where the incumbent chairman was unanimously chosen to fly the party’s flag come October 31.
Now, there appears to be a stalemate in Ibiono Ibom with regards to who the standard bearer of the PDP in the area is, especially as both parties are increasingly showing signs of not surrendering to allow the other have his way. It is a feverish time politically in Ibiono Ibom that requires all parties in the supremacy battle to “calm down” and allow the wishes of the people to prevail. It’ll be good not just for the development of the local government area, but also advertise the Peoples Democratic Party to members of the public as one in which members don’t fight to death, but often find a common ground of agreement in order to allow peace and harmony reign supreme.
With some party members already feeling let down by either imposition of candidates or being shortchanged, the PDP may likely set up a reconciliation committee to appease aspirants and members of the party who were, for one thing or the other, not favoured at the congress.
Some party faithful are already calling for the committee to be constituted so that they can, without delay, commence a peace process that will calm frayed nerves and subsequently strengthen the party’s rank and file.
But ahead of the October 31 election, one telling issue that has agitated concerned minds is the fact that it is going to be a one party affair, or so it seems. As of the time of cobbling this piece, no other party has done anything to show they’ll be presenting candidates for the local government election. The only party that would have challenged PDP candidates, the All Progressives Congress, had since withdrawn from the election, citing what they described as the “illegal creation of 39 new wards by the state government in connivance with Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission (AKISIEC).
The party alleged that the creation of the new wards is a conspiracy between the state government and the state’s electoral body. They also accused Aniedi Ikoiwak, the AKISIEC boss, of not consulting other political parties, hence their decision to pull out of the election.
“AKISIEC in its act of antics and ambush had no prior consultation with the major stakeholders [other political parties, communities etc] before creating the wards.
“APC in its wisdom, therefore, views such impunity exhibited by Mr. Aniedi Ikoiwak, the AKISIEC chairman, as an outright abuse of office which goes a long way in shortchanging the people of the state from participating in such an important exercise that has a lot to do with their collective destiny.
“Based on outlining scenarios, APC, therefore, commits itself to exploring legal and legitimate means available to it to stand in the gap for the vulnerable citizens of this state against the continuous devastation of our mores and folkways by this government and its agents in constantly pushing the people of this state to the pangs and agony of modern slavery.”
The party’s publicity secretary, Nkereuwem Eyongekere, had dropped hints to the effect that the APC will institute a legal action to protest the creation of new wards without, according to him, considering if other political parties have roots in the new wards so created. Nothing has since been heard about the legal action planned by the APC to register their grievances on the creation of 39 new wards that has taken the wards in the state from 329 to 368.
But whatever happens between now and the D-Day, the reality is that Akwa Ibom State is seemingly becoming a one party state whereby if you don’t belong to the governing party within the circumference of the state, your aspiration is as good as dead. This, it must be admitted, isn’t good for democracy. Politics is a game of numbers that requires many people from different political parties to field candidates for election. If, as it now clearly appears the reverse is the case, it’s important to ask questions about what is wrong with other political parties.
If other parties can’t compete at the grassroots level, one then wonders how they’ll cope in governorship and other elections outside the precincts of their locality. Isn’t the inability for the litany of political parties we have to field candidates for elections causing many to advocate for a two-party system in Nigeria? Isn’t it why INEC has, in its “wisdom” and in line with law, de-registered some political parties? While some of the de-registered parties are in court against INEC, the homework they should do is to fortify their party, make it viable and attractive so that “serious” aspirants can choose their platform. Existing just in name and getting freebies from big political parties at major elections is not the best for our beleaguered democracy. It is high time other political parties woke up and be counted. It will, among other things, make for competition, bring excitement and positive anxiety to political contests and signal an end to the seemingly entrenched tradition to the effect that as soon as you pick PDP’s ticket for any election, you’ve won already.
Let us make this “game” an interesting spectacle.
