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| Udoedehe |
Senator John Udoedehe is fast losing his political capital
in Akwa Ibom State. The former gubernatorial candidate of the Action Congress
of Nigeria (ACN) in the 2011 not only gave Governor Godswill Akpabio a good run
for his money but also fought his purported loss to a logical conclusion in the
court. Naturally, he became the rallying point for the opposition in the state.
Therefore, the distinguished Senator who represented Akwa Ibom North-east at
the dawn of the fourth republic in 1999 and later served as a minister took it
for granted that the governorship ticket of the APC would be his on a platter
of gold.
He did not reckon with the swing of the political pendulum,
which necessitated a change in the political calculations. Former Secretary to
the state’s government, Obong Umana Okon Umana had the door of his ambition to
become governor of the state on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party
shut in his face. His move to the APC with his supporters uprooted Udoedehe
from what was supposed to be his familiar ground and showed that the senator
was not the political iroko that many thought.
Umana became
Udoedehe’s nightmare with his arrival into the APC. He offered an option to
many APC faithful who thought the senator was overbearing and arrogant and
therefore lacked the popularity to win voters in favour of the APC. The state
primaries of the APC produced the obvious result, Udoedehe lost. Umana won.
Since then, Udoedehe has shown the antics of a bad
sportsman. He rejected the result of the primaries. Unfortunately, his bid to
seek redress in court was halted by the nationwide strike by judiciary workers.
Since then, the remnants of the senator’s supporters have been working in
concert with agents of the PDP in the state to frustrate Umana’s campaign. In a
shocking move, Udoedehe who was Akpabio’s sworn enemy has made a tacit
reconciliation with the governor since both men have a common enemy in Umana.
By far the most scandalous act by Udoedehe was his bid to
deflate the steam of the APC presidential campaign in Uyo. The day before APC
presidential hopeful, Muhammadu Buhari arrived Uyo, the senator allegedly lured
APC members sympathetic to him to come to his house so that they could proceed
in a convoy to the airport to receive Buhari. Once inside his expansive
compound, he allegedly ordered his security men to lock the gates and nobody
was allowed to leave till the Buhari campaign was over.
The matter and other acts of provocation like destruction of
Umana’s campaign materials in the public space have since been reported to the
appropriate quarters.
Udoedehe’s problem
was further compounded when the group of 22 PDP governorship aspirants entered
a negotiation with the APC. Their success has reduced the senator’s relevance
in the state, forcing him to behave like a bull in a China shop.
Culled from Thisday
newspaper
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