By Emmanuel Uffot
In the history of post- Independence politics in Nigeria, specifically the dawn of the third democratic republic in 1999, it has become the norm and an unwritten phenomenon that an out -going president or governor would always want to be interested on who succeeds him and will consequently work assiduouslytowards achieving that goal at the expense of the wish of the citizenry.
In Akwa Ibom specifically dating back to the era of former governor Victor Attah, in the course of his administration, his body language indicated that he was favourably inclined to the then Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs Barrister Godswill Akpabio becoming his successor.
The fact that Akpabio survived many cabinets reshuffle, cemented the opinion of those that were nursing this school of thought. Another development that gave flip to the insinuations that was gaining ground that the Essien Udim– born lawyer and Commissioner was Attah’s choice, stemmed from the fact that he remained then, the only Commissioner that enjoyed security paraphernalia of office by going along with police escort and DSS security details. In addition to this, what further confirmed political pundits’ assertion that Akpabio is going to be the preferred successor of the governor was when he began to advocate for power shift to the Annang extraction of the state, justifying it as a way of ensuring justice, fairness and equity.
So many political followers and party faithfuls that had bought into the power shift theory and had zeroed their mind on Akpabio as the anointed candidate of the governor, were alarmed when he literally changed the goal post in the middle of the game by pronouncing his son-In-law, Bob Ekarika, a medical doctor and Commissioner of Health as his choice.
The choice did not go down well with many across many strata of the state. In as much as many agreed that indeed, power should shift from Ibibio to Annang being the next major tribe, but it should not be the governor’s son-In-law who was already serving the eight years of Attah as commissioner. So, Attah’s effort to put Ekarika as his successor did not fly as it fail woefully paving way for Akpabio to become the governor.
Akpabio followed the footstep of his predecessor by bringing Udom Emmanuel from Zenith Bank where he was an executive director, and put as his successor despite stiff opposition from his party members who reasoned though wrongly that it was notfair for the governor to bring somebody who to them “has not been on ground’ to impose as governor. But Akpabio, who hadlearned the ropes as an astute politician, weathered the storm of opposition and Udom became the governor.
Again, the same scenario has played out now, like a recurring decimal and an accepted political norm in the country with the nomination of Pastor Umo Eno, immediate past Commissioner for Lands and Water Resources as Governor Udom Emmanuel preferred candidate and successor.
However, it is noteworthy that before the unveiling of Pastor Eno, the governor had kept his choice to his chest with many names flying around. Some of the names that came into the lipsof many as likely successors included Udom Inoyo, retired Vice Chairman of Exxon Mobil, Akan Okon, Commissioner forEconomic Development and Ibom Deep Seaport, said to be a long-standing friend of the governor, Akan Udofia, a USA based business mogul and him Umo Eno.
Eno, who is a cleric, CEO of Royalty Group of Hotels and former Commissioner and now the governorship flagbearer of PDP in Akwa Ibom State was presented at a stakeholder meeting of the party at the Government House, Uyo last February.
The former governor Obong Attah who had over the years maintain dignified silence on political happenings in the state especially during the previous government of Akpabio, made the formal presentation of the governor’s successor to the stakeholders that included deputy governor, Mr Moses Ekpo, Speaker State House of Assembly Rt. Hon. Aniekan Bassey,Senators Akon Ayakenyi representing Eket Senatorial District, recently nominated as running mate to the PDP gubernatorial candidate Pastor Eno, PDP state chairman Elder AniekanAkpan, Effiong Bob, Alloysius Etuk and Ibok Essien all former senators. Others were Hon. Onofiok Luke, representing EtinanFederal Constituency who later became an aspirant, Barrister Emmanuel Enoidem, National Coordinator of Maintain Peace Movement, now PDP Senatorial candidate of Ikot Ekpenesenatorial district, Hon. Pat Ifon representing Eket federal constituency, Chief Nduese Essien, former Minister of Housing who is political leader of Eket and Barrister Assam Assam, SAN, former Ambassador of Nigeria to Russia who is the director general of Umo Eno campaign organisation and former deputy governor of the state Etim Okpoyo.
Also, in attendance at the gathering that unveiled Eno as the would-be successor of governor Emmanuel were traditional rulers and clergies like, Dr. Sunday Mbang, Prelate Emeritus of Methodist Church of Nigeria, Bishop Uma Ukpai and the Oku Ibom Ibibio, Paramount Ruler of Nsit Ubium and Chairman of State Council of Chiefs Nteyin Solomon Etuk.
As usual, his choice as Governor Udom’s anointed successor has nonetheless reverberated discordant tunes from some Akwa Ibomites especially those in the opposition. While some are opposed to his choice, others wondered why a governor’s choice should be misconstrued as hindering those with genuineaspiration. They maintained that a governor choosing his preferred choice to succeed him, is not a novelty in Nigerian politics or in Akwa Ibom.
However, for some discerning minds still ruminating over why the governor decided on Eno, facts have emerged why the renowned hospitality industry player became the choice outside many others abound that were touted.
Prominent among the reasons is his background as an astute entrepreneur of repute having hundreds of Nigerians in his employ. His hospitality business which close associates maintain has taken many young people off the street, caters for food supply to Exxon Mobil.
With this background, the governor believes he is best qualified to carry on with the developmental projects his government is currently executing in the state when he leaves office.
Moreover, the PDP flagbearer’s credential as a cleric is one of the factors said to have endeared him to the governor being an ordained deacon himself. Given the current peace enjoyed in the state against the alarming state of insecurity across many states in the country, the governor views Eno’s status as a cleric, as one best suited to govern the state with the fear of God.
Similarly, as a Pastor and known to be a man of peace, sources revealed that the expectation is that he best suits one that will pursue policies that would consolidate on the enduring peace in the state with emphasis on security of lives and properties.
Another reason, said to have influenced the governor’s choice as gathered is being a man with capacity for hard work and managerial skills and highly connected, the thinking by the governor is that as an entrepreneur of high repute, Pst. Eno truly fits into his agenda of industrialization, hence will continue with that agenda of completing the industries he cannot complete before he leaves office next year.
Also, given the way his preferred successor has nurtured Royalty Hotels and subsidiaries to become a household name with no fewer than 500 employees, the governor is said to be convinced he will be able to manage the resources of the state effectively for common good.
Findings, also revealed that Governor Emmanuel preference for Pastor Eno, has to do with his connection with Exxon Mobil which he holds the record as one of the biggest contractors and other serving companies. With this, the Governor has the confident that he will be able to facilitate the relocation of the headquarters of Exxon Mobil to Akwa Ibom, which is one of the major reason the 21-storey Dakaddah Towers was conceptualized.
Finally, at different fora, Governor Emmanuel has not failed to described his preferred successor as a gentle man and a cool-headed man who had a humble beginning. For the chief executive of the state, Eno who had a humble beginning and worked very hard to be what he is today, will not oppress the people with anti-people’s policies.
It is instructive to note that before the unveiling of Umo Eno asGovernor Emmanuel’s preferred successor, the idea of whom he wants and the attributes of such person was echoed during his 34th anniversary of state creation speech on September 23, 2021 which he devoted to the succession issue.
“Let me now ask you my dear people of Akwa Ibom. Do you want a successor who will cancel out all the great strides we have mace in industrialization, the peace we currently enjoy and return us to the years when violence and kidnapping reigned and sowed seed of fear in the hearts and mind of the people?
“Do you want a successor who will come with anger towards all we have achieved, as opposed to continuing with the great works we have started? Do you want a leader whose approach to testing his popularity will be to drive in a long convoy to Ibom Plaza and throw money to hapless people, watching them scramble for the money?
“Is that the kind of successor you want? Is that the kind of empowerment our people deserve? Someone who will bring out the worst in our youths rather than challenge them to seize the future and unleash their potentials? Do you want a successor who will relegate God to the background and assume an all-knowing power? Or do you desire a successor with a known e-mail address that the international business community recognizes?
“If you desire a leader who will not efficiently utilize theresources of this state on projects that have redeeming value, then I am sorry to disappoint. God will not give us such a successor”.
Against the background of grumbling by some people in the state, questioning the governor’s assertion that his choice of Pastor Eno was a product of God revelation to him, he reiterated that position while playing host to leaders of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Akwa Ibom chapter at Government House, Uyo recently. He told the clergies who were on a courtesy visit to introduce to him their new chairman, emphatically that God can revealed something to somebody else not necessarily a clergy. That it does not necessarily mean that God should revealed who is successor should be to them as insinuated, and insisted that Umo Eno’s choice was revealed to him by God.
The misgivings against the Governor’s choice played out recently when a former aspirant and immediate past Commissioner for Economic Development and Ibom Deep Seaport, Akan Okon instituted a law suit against Eno seeking the nullification of his victory at the just concluded governorship primaries of the party alleging the falsification of school certificate result and date of birth.
But the PDP candidate and Maintain Peace Movement, a political platform set up to propagate peace in the state and also anchor the PDP candidate’s election bid, have dismissed the allegation by Okon as baseless, lacking in substance and a mere ‘vicious campaign of calumny by a desperado’, whose aim is just to smear the image of the candidate having failed woefully at the primaries. According to Barrister Enoidem, national coordinator of the group, prior to the suit, the plaintiff in his desperate move to stop the issuance of Certificate of Return to the flagbearer had earlier petitioned the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to disqualify him, but it turned out to be effort in futility hence his decision to go to court.
“There is no substance in the claim of the plaintiff, as same is an utter vicious and malicious smear campaign of a desperado. Prior to the institution of the suit, the plaintiff in apparent move to stop the issuance of Certificate of Return to Pastor Umo Enohad prayed the NWC of PDP through the national chairman in a petition signed by his brother Senator Anietie Okon to disqualify him”. The group stated that, it recalled that the aforementioned petition was investigated by the party and dismissed as lacking in substance, and described the suit as a ‘classic case of witch hunt embarked upon by a man who scored 3 votes at the state congress of the party where Umo Eno scored 993 votes to emerged the candidate.
However, for ardent supporters of the PDP candidate and party faithfuls, notwithstanding many oppositions building against the choice of the immediate former Commissioner of Lands and Water Resources, they are convinced that he will triumph and become the next governor of the state.
Pastor Umo Eno, the CEO of Royalty Group, a firm he established in 1997 with interests in hospitality, manufacturing, oil and gas sector reputed to employing over 500 had worked in Union Bank, Bertola Machine Tools and then with Norman Holdings where he left as Group General Manager Commercial Services to establish Royalty Hotels and Recreations Limited in 1997.
In 2019, he resigned as Chief Executive Officer of Royalty Group with six subsidiaries to accept appointment with the State Government as Executive Director, Agricultural Investment Corporation (AKICORP).
The Nsit Ubium– born Pastor in the Christ and Undershepherd of All Nations Christian Ministry International not only holds a Master’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Uyo, where he is also pursuing a Ph.D program in Public Administration, but is an alumni of Pan African University’s Lagos Business School.
In the course of his career, he has garnered many appointments and honours which include, Chairman Board of Trustees, Akwa Ibom Business Community, Chairman Akwa Ibom Hotels and Tourism Board, two Star Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary Club of Eket, District 9140, Icon of Hope Award by The Apostolic Church, Nigeria and Special Recognition Award by the Nigeria Medical Association, Akwa Ibom State.
