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| Barr. Uwemedimo Nwoko |
By Nse Peter
Agitation for zoning of the governorship position in
Akwa Ibom State in the next election has received a major blow from a renowned
constitutional lawyer and a member of Gov. Godswill Akpabio’s legal team, Barr
Uwemedimo Nwoko who has accused the Oro ethnic group of not supporting the
Annang governorship aspiration in 2007.
Oro, one of the three main ethnic groups in Akwa
Ibom State, is clamouring for the zoning of the Akwa Ibom governorship to Eket
Senatorial District in order to increase their chances of producing a governor
in 2015 for the first time in the 25-year old state.
“At the time Gov. Godswill Akpabio contested, even
though the majority of the contestants in 2007 were Annang in PDP, we (also)
had Oro interest. Larry Esin was there, and he swept the whole of Oro votes,”
Uwemedimo Nwoko says in an interview on Bridge TV Show, shown on AKBC TV.
The transcript of the interview is published in the
current edition of Weekly Insight, a local newspaper in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.In apparent similarity to Godswill Akpabio’s statement that he didn’t become a governor in 2007 through zoning, Nwoko who is the chairman, governing board of the Akwa Ibom State Polytechnic, Ikot Osura, told his interviewer, Mr. Itoro Columba of the Bridge TV Show, “Godswill Akpabio was not a product of zoning. It was the eventual understanding and love for him as a person (that got him support and votes during the 2007 primaries)”.
“But you can’t call that zoning, because if it is
zoning, it must be in complete bracket that it goes with those people…. In
2011, it couldn’t have been zoning! I mean, that was one of the most viciously
contested elections in the state!”
Nwoko says there is ‘no zoning arrangement to fall
back on’ because the people clamouring for zoning today, did not adhere to
zoning in the past.
“As an Annang man, I wasn’t happy that at the least
opportunity we had, when we were trying to get an Annang man into office (as
the governor), the Oro nation did not give us a vote.”
The man Nwoko has no business talking abt akwa ibom matter, where he claim 2 come not withstanding.
ReplyDeletego back n study 2007 election before talking 2 d press or making any public statement
Mr. Nwoko are u an Akwa Ibomite?
ReplyDeleteVery stupid of Mr Nwoko
ReplyDeleteMight be speaking for his Oga at The Top.
ReplyDeletehttp://blog4all-com.blogspot.com/
I think Nwoko needs to examine his head well before making statements he can not substantiate with facts.
ReplyDeleteI as an oron man here in the US, campaigned for Akpabio through my constituent in Oron.
Larry is my friend and I personally advice him not to run and I never put any good words for him based on his inability to win and also his entering the race will make Oron look back.
The chairman of the PDP at that time was Chief Otu Toyo, an Oron man gave his support to Akpabio so also party Stewarts from Oron extraction.
Where is Nwoko getting his facts from?
People like Nwoko are like ambulance chasers whose only means of making money is singing the praises of their master. People like him are the once that give Akpabio a bad name in Akwa Ibom State.
Oron gave Akpabio 90% of their vote during the election.