Aggrieved Akwa Ibom PDP Chieftains Tackle Akpabio, Wants Nigeria Senate To Intervene

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News, News From The State, Nigeria 2015 Election, Politics Thursday, January 8th, 2015

Ayodele Ayodele, Abuja – The end may not be in sight for the crises rocking the Akwa Ibom state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) aftermath of the gubernatorial primary election conducted on December 8 2014 gubernatorial primary of the party, as notable party chieftains from the state to defect to other parties.

The crisis reared its ugly head Thursday in Abuja when the aggrieved 22 guber aspirants who staged a walk out at the primary election on alleged flagrant irregularities, tabled their grievances before the Akwa Ibom State Senate caucus headed by Senator Ita Enang (PDP Akwa Ibom North East).

The leader of the group, Isima Ekere immediate past Deputy Governor of the State under the incumbent Governor, Godwill Akpabio, said after about 31 days of fighting the alleged injustice meted to them by the party leadership in the state under governor Akpabio without the National leadership of the party taking the necessary action, they decided to come to the Senate leadership for possible last minute solution.

He alleged that in the said election, provisions of party guidelines were completely ignored as delegates who were railroaded to participate in the election were not elected but singularly hand picked by governor Akpabio.

“The exercise was shoddily conducted and will reject it in its entirety on that very day December 8 , 2014, and have written series of petitions against it to the National Working Committee of the party without the National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Muazu granting us any audience since then.

“The major reason we are holding on in the party till now, is because we are loyal party men who still want the party to win the February General elections provided the party’s governorship candidate in the state is allowed to be the choice of the people through credible process and not the man singularly picked by Akpabio.

“To hit the nail on the head, PDP is doomed in Akwa Ibom state , as far as the coming general elections are concerned, because all the party’s candidates from Governor, Deputy Governor, the three Senatorial candidates , the 10 House of Representatives candidates and the 26 state House of Assembly candidates were hand picked by Akpabio and not elected in any way and the people are not happy”, he said.

A position reechoed by another member of the group, Senator Helen Esuene (PDP Akwa Ibom South), who said after given the struggle against alleged injustice meted to them their all for 31 days without the party listening to them, that their patience was running out.

She said: “Right now, our patience is running out because we have not been fairly treated at by the party and let it be said loud and clear that if we are put to the wall, we will definitely go to where we are needed

“Ditto for another member of the group, Ambassador Asam Asam ( SAN) , who said From the beginning we knew that only one person can become governor but we expect his emergence to be through a transparent, credible, democratic process.”

The international community is watching us. Our democratic experience is weak. The party pride itself as the biggest in Africa. If the democratic experience in the party is weak, the democratic experience of the largest party in Africa is weak and the credibility of the elections at the grassroots becomes a problem and honestly speaking , PDP is in trouble in Akwa Ibom State due to one man dominance of the whole process”

Ita Enang in his response to the aggrieved party men, also admitted that PDP as it is presently in Akwa Ibom State, is going into the next month general elections with wrong footed candidates the results of which he said would be unpalatable.

“What is urgently needed to be done by all stakeholders in Akwa Ibom State is to rescue the state from an arrest of a whole generation by just one man before the election because if that is not done, voters will surely do the appropriate thing at the appropriate time during the elections”, he warned.

He however assured the aggrieved party men that their complaints would be tabled before the Senate President, David Mark who according to him, would surely join him and other Senators from the State to meet President Jonathan over the matter for the needed solution.