By Emmanuel Uffot
There seems to be no end in the agelong crises rocking the Akwa Ibom Chapter of All Progressive Congress ( APC) inspite of the recent victory of Senator Godswill Akpabio and Mr Akanimo Udofia at the Supreme Court and Appeal Court respectively.
When many party members and supporters had thought that the affirmation of the duo, Akpabio as the authentic candidate of APC for Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District and Udofia as the governorship candidate would calm frayed nerves given the reconciliatary meeting held by the former governor in his Ukana home, but the rancour seem to be far from over rather it has apparently deepened.
The latest crises which has sent tongues within the party and sympathisers wagging has to do with the expulsion of Senator Ita Enang by the state chapter of APC.
The State Working Committee ( APC) led by Stephen Ntukekpo had through a letter dated January 24, 2023 upheld the recommendations from Eastern Ward 2 of Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area,being Enang’s ward to expel him from the party for alleged anti – party activities.
According to the expulsion letter the anti- party activities include ” his willful indulgence with PDP and unlawful disobedience of the Party’s directives”. The letter explains further
“After a free and fair gubernatorial primary election conducted by the party which you lost without showing a good spirit of sportsmanship, Senator Ita Enang had engaged in endless litigations against the candidate who won and the party. The clandestine meetings he holds with the opposition party, the PDP and after such meetings, drumming support for them are nor without notice by the vigilant party officers of his ward and Chapter. Consequently I write on behalf of the State Working Committee of APC to ratify the decision of the disciplinary Committee of the APC thus, that Senator Ita Solomon Enang be and is hereby expelled from the All Progresive Congress “, Ntukekpo letter read.
Elsewhere in Nsit Ubium a letter suspending the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Mr Umana Okon Umana by the Nsit Ubium Local Government Chapter of APC also emerged. In the said letter reportedly signed by the secretary Bee Monday John suspended Mr Umana for anti- party activities. It read ” Your suspension is due to your failure to respond to consistent invitation to appear before the party and answer to anti- party allegation levelled against you. Note that you have been accused of being a major financier of the main opposition PDP in the local government. You have been sponsoring the parallel party executive in the Chapter and wards of the local government”.
But Senator Enang has described his expulsion as fake news, insisting that he remained a bona-fide member of APC. He said he will never succumb to intimidation because of seeking justice. ” They will not intimidate me for defending myself in court. I am the legitimate governorship candidate of the APC for the 2023 General election. Nobody has suspended me or done anything that affects my status In the party. All these actions are taken against me because I have gone to court, I am entitled by the law to defend myself”. The former Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly matters fingers Senator Akpabio on his purported expulsion, stressing that Akpabio lust to take over the leadership of the party in the state has driven a lot of away from the party. He vowed that he will not leave or be coaxed to leave the party no matter the antics of Senator Akpabio and his cohorts.
However contrary to the claim by Ntukekpo that the state Working Committee of the party ratified the recommendation from Ita Enang’s ward, the local Chapter of the party in Ibiono Ibom has distance itself from the SWC suspension of their son. They maintained that he remains a member of the party. A statement to this effect came from a letter signed by APC Chapter chairman for Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area Umoh Ekpo and Secretary Aniekan Ekerette. They described the purported expulsion of Senator Enang as I’ll motivated, attributing it to the mere fact that he went to court to seek redress. They wonder how going to court to seek justice amount to anti- party activities. ” The decision to seek redress and justice in court cannot be termed as anti- party activities and disobedience to the lawful directives of the party. To this end the Chapter executive of the party, elders and the entire members of the APC in Ibiono Ibom hereby pass a vote of confidence on our illustrious son Ita Enang”. They said Enang was the only voice in Akwa Ibom speaking for the party and enjoined the public to disregard Senator Enang’s expulsion.
In the case of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Mr Umana, the SWC chairman Stephen Ntukekpo has disassociated the state party caucus from the purported suspension of Mr Umana, describing the authors of the letter suspending him as fake and unknown persons. He insisted that the minister is a loyal party member and great supporter of a unified party in the state. He stated that Umana was never and has not been suspended by the party in his ward, chapter and state.
Similarly, Umana’s ward Ndiya has also pooh- pooh the alleged suspension of the minister. They said it was the handwork of some elements who seek to attract attention. They argued that the minister has never been a disloyal member of the party in Ndiya ward, Nsit Ibium local government area and a strong supporter of a unified party. The statement from the ward signed by Udeme Sunday Chairman and Maria Noah, Secretary. They said the suspension of the minister which was backdated to December 23, 2022 was concocted by the camp of Senator Akpabio who wants to be leader of the party at all cost despite withholding any political office at the moment.
However if others like Senator Enang, Stakeholders of Ndiya were abit lenient with Senator Akpabio whom they fingers as the masterminder of both expulsion and suspension of both APC chieftains the same can not be said of a Socio- Political Group in the state by name Progressive Ambassadors. The Group pointedly accused the former governor of being the brain behind the latest crises. They described Akpabio as a desperado who will stop at nothing in his quest for power. Chairman of the Group Isantim Edet Ekpe and Secretary Barrister Edidiong Ubong Secretary in a joint press briefing described the suspension of the two party leaders as a laughable venture. They wondered why Akpabio a new comer in the party could could strive to assume a position of a god and want everybody to bow down to him. The Group likened him to a devil who came to APC to steal, kill and destroy, a development the Group noted has caused the friction that has continued unabated. ” We see Akpabio as a drowning man looking for who to sink with. It was because if his high- handedness that both party chieftains left PDP to APC. We are just wondering why Akpabio should use his stooge, the self made state chairman Stephen Ntukekpo and the factional chapter leaders of Nsit Ubium LGA to cause havoc. We want all to know that Akoabio is the cause of disunity in Akwa Ibom State APC”.
Indeed, this scenario playing out in the case if Enang we gathered emanates from his decision to challenge the Appeal Court verdict in the Supreme Court, a development the party fear might seriously hinder their preparation.
It is instructive to note that, before Akpabio entered APC, it was populated by those that had earlier had differences with him while in PDP before they left. Some of them were Chief Don Etiebet, Nsima Ekere, who was his deputy while as Governor, Obong Umana, his secretary to the state government who left PDP after he could not get the nod by Akpabio then Governor to contest for that position and Ita Enang. Before them, Senator James Akpan Udo edehe held sway as the party leader of APC. But decamped to fly the flag of NNPP as their gubernatorial candidate due to the squabbles in APC that was emerging before it manified.But political pundits had predicted that given the fact that these party chieftains have not mend fences with Akpabio, his decamp to the party already populated by his perceived political foes may cause destabilisation in the party. The current crises in the party which has defied reconciliation has proved the cynics right.
This disunity in the party which is still deeply rooted, with the factions still in existence is seen by both political observers and even party members as a mountain that will stand against the party making any impart in the coming election.
That the disunity is very much intact played our at the Bola Tinubu Presidential Campaign rally in Uyo on Monday January 30,2023. The rally which had Nsima Ekere, former Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission ( NDDC) as Chairman planning committee did not give much room for those in Akpabio camp to play prominent role on the rally. For instance, Stephen Ntukekpo factional chairman of APC in the state loyal to Senator Akpabio, was not given the leverage to play the role expected of the state party chairman suggesting the fact that the other old party chieftains are not comfortable with the role the former governor has played in bringing fown the party to its knees. Again Senator Enang was conspicuously absent confirming his expulsion.
However, few weeks to the election the governorship candidate Mr Akan Udofia is yet to flag off his campaign. As against others like YPP which has Senator Bassey Albert and Senator John Udoedehe of New Nigeria Peoples Party, both being major challengers to the PDP candidate Pastor Umo Eno who is benefitting from the problems of supposed major opposition parties.
