Akpabio’s 2015 senate ambition in jeopardy, as senators move against the governor

Chief Godswill Akpabio

This story, culled from a weekly tabloid in Uyo, Community Pulse indicates that both the National Assembly and the Presidency may not be in favour of Gov. Akpabio’s senate ambition. Read more, after the cut….

 

There is strong indication that the much-supported senatorial ambition of Chief (Dr) Godswill Obot Akpabio, the incumbent Governor of Akwa Ibom state may not see the light of the day after all.

A reliable source who pleaded anonymity told that, despite the support by the people of his senatorial district especially those in his government, there are hurdles before the governor as he hopes to take a seat in the senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria come 2015.

According to the source, the greatest obstacle on Governor Akpabio’s way is placed by the very institution which he seeks to be a member, The National assembly. It was gathered that during the feud between the governor and the senator representing Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District, Aloysius Etok, the National Assembly leadership had taken the matter to the presidency where the purported recall process was halted. While at the presidency, it was also gathered that the legislators had told the president that Senator Etok was an asset to the National Assembly, the PDP family and the entire nation.

The leadership of the National Assembly was said to have informed the president that the senate needed men like Aloysius Etok who could discharge their assigned duties involving billions of naira without soiling their hands. They allegedly concluded their over two-hours meeting with the presidency by telling the president that if anybody should not come to the senate, it should be the Governor of Akwa Ibom state, a statement that was said to have taken the president by surprise.

According to the source, the president is said to have asked why the performing governor should not take a seat in the senate after eight years of meritorious service in Akwa Iboim which has seen a rebirth in infrastructure and human development. The senators were said to have taken turn to tell the president that, the country was in a very critical stage which needed men who have control over their emotions in the National Assembly, pointing out that what led to the feud between the Governor and Senator Etok was a statement credited to governor Akpabio claiming to have substituted the name of the winner of the senatorial district primary election with that of Etok thereby belittling the integrity and supremacy of the party and its constitution. T

The senators allegedly reminded the president of their last retreat in Uyo in 2012 where the governor went out of the issue at hand to talk about irrelevant things that did not go down well with some senators some of whom were not PDP members. Another issue that attracted the senators’ wrath was the governor’s comment during the 20th anniversary of Brigadier General E. U Esuene, husband to the senator representing Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District (Eket), where the Governor, apart from appointing Senator Etok his campaign manager had called other senators present at the event my colleagues. It was also learnt that the senators had reminded the Presidency that in line with the party’s constitution, zoning was an undisputed fact and as such the senate seat should be zoned to a federal constituency in the district that has never produced a senator.

According to the source, it was at this point that the name of Obong Ekperikpe Ekpo who was in the House of Representatives between 2007 and 2011 was dropped to the presidency and the National Chairman of the party who was also present at the meeting.

Meanwhile, the people of Abak Federal Constituency are agitating for the senate seat, though done secretly. According to a source in Abak, there have been series of meetings among stakeholders in the constituency on who should be sent to represent them in the Senate. It was also gathered that Rt. Hon (Obong) Ekperikpe Ekpo has been tipped to succeed Senator Etok in 2015. Checks by Community Pulse revealed that Obong Ekpo is leaving no stone unturned in his quest for the senate seat. He is said to be mobilizing human and material resources for the project which did not materialized the last time he aspired.

Culled from Community Pulse newspaper