Stakeholders in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State have adopted a census candidate to vie for the office of Chairman in the forthcoming council’s polls.
READ ALSO: Women In Politics: Udom’s Magnanimity
The state Independent electoral body, AKISIEC, has fixed elections for the 31 local government councils and 368 wards in the state on Saturday, October 31, 2020.
As a count down, political parties, mainly the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), which is the ruling and dominant party in the state, has since rolled out forms for aspirants wishing to contest for the chairmanship and councilorship positions respectively.
READ ALSO: Women and Power: How Ready Are They?
In Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area, the home of the former governor, Arc Obong Victor Attah and the sagacious, late Obong Effiong Okon Eyo popularly known as “Eyo Uyo”, the contest has been narrowed to Mrs Akon Michael, a retired primary school teacher as the sole aspirant for the party’s primaries to elect who will contest for the chairmanship seat.
Ibesikpo Asutan, which is thickly populated, has two clans; Ibesikpo and Asutan with a total of twelve (12) electoral wards.
With the latest consensus development, the retired school headmistress, who hails from Asutan Ward 3, would on victory after the October 31 polls, take over from the incumbent chairman, Hon Sylvester George, whose three-year tenure ends by November 30, 2020.
Crystal Express gathered that as soon as news of the adoption of Mrs Akon Michael, a pastor’s wife with children, made rounds, indigenes of the area went into a celebration, commending elders of the party, political chieftains and stakeholders for their wise decision.
READ ALSO: Udom’s Masterstroke
The people also applauded them for giving top priority to the unity of the two clans as reflected in their decision to zone the office of the chairman to Austan Clan.
Accordingly, Mrs Akon Michael will become the first female chairman of Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area since its creation by the military regime of General Sani Abacha on October 1, 1996.
Ibesikpo was carved out of the then Uyo Local Government Area while Asutan was excised from the then Ekpe Atai Local Government Area to form current Ibesikpo Asutan LGA.
Notable political leaders in the area, who reportedly partook in the consensus arrangement include, Prince Uwem Ita Etuk, former PDP State Chairman; Rt Hon (Elder) Aniekan Nyong Uko, member, representing the area in the State House of Assembly; Mr Nsikan Linus Nkan, State Commissioner for Finance; Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Obot and Obong T. O. Akpan, former members of the National Assembly among others.
Speaking on the decision, Mr Linus Nkan, Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Finance, lauded other stakeholders and leaders of the party for the common front and unanimity in arriving at the choice of Mrs Arit Michael for the office of Chairman for Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Council.
Nkan described her as a seasoned administrator “with depth, experience and someone who has a deep understanding of the critical need of the traditional institution, elders, the youth and women in the area especially at this time and can proffer clear solutions in that respect.”
Reacting also, Elder Aniekan Uko, member representing Ibesikpo Asutan State Constituency in the State Assembly, said he was also satisfied with the choice of Mrs Michael.
READ ALSO: Sexual Abuse: The Males Are Not Exceptions
He said, “I join other eminent and revered political leaders in Ibesikpo Asutan to say that we need a peace-loving, capable, intelligent and Christ-centric leader like our dear Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, to oversee our Council.
“Gender does not come in at all. After all, where all of us not created by the same God?”.
