One question nobody seems to have an answer yet: will Ekid back Oro for 2015 A’Ibom governorship race?

Chief Nduese Essien

By Nse Peter

Governorship aspirants from Eket Senatorial District in Akwa Ibom State appear reluctant to embark on state-wide political consultation ahead of the 2015 governorship election in the state, more than three weeks after political leaders in the area had urged their kinsmen seeking to contest for the position, to “unveil themselves and make their manifestoes known to the people of the state”. 

Chief Nduese Essien, a former minister of Lands and Housing was reported to have said during a recent meeting of the district political leaders, that “following Governor Akpabio’s flag-off of his interest in the 2015 senatorial race and announcement of a campaign manager, there was no need for the Eket aspirants to wait no further especially since the governorship election was superior to senate elections.”

The Eket meeting, convened under the auspices of Akwa Ibom South (Eket) Senatorial District Assembly and chaired by Nduese Essien from Eket Local Government Area, afforded the district an enlarged platform to push ahead with her campaign to produce the next Akwa Ibom governor in 2015. The Minister of Science and Technology Prof Ita Bassey Ewa, who is said to be interested in contesting the forthcoming governorship election, led the Oro delegation to the meeting.

And that was about a third time such meeting was being held, though its impact is seen as being so little, so slow in coming.

Politicians nursing governorship ambition from the district, Nduese Essien says there are now 17 of them, are yet to run with the steam provided by the Nduese Essien-led Assembly, one of the reasons being that there is a silent, but increasing mutual distrust between Ekid and Oro ethnic groups on which of them should back the other for the governorship race, as found out by THINK AKWA IBOM!

Achieving a political consensus within its political bloc, and riding on the back of it, is surely the first tonic Eket Senatorial District needs for what seems to be a long and disadvantaged battle for 2015. But getting a consensus may be a tall dream, going by the political realities on ground.

Like in every other state in Nigeria, ethnicity plays a very influential role during elections in Akwa Ibom. And among the three senatorial districts in state, the ethnic configuration in the Eket Senatorial District is perhaps the most intriguing and dynamic.  

Take Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District which is largely made up of the Annang ethnic group and a small population of Ibibio in Ikono and Ini local government areas. Or the Uyo Senatorial District where there is a complete reign and rule of the Ibibio. But in Eket Senatorial District there are five ethnic groups – Ekid, Oro, Ibibio, Ijaw (Ibeno people claim their ancestry is traceable to the Ijaw), and Andoni – with little or no socio-cultural bond, and internal political links that could best be described as fragile.

Politicians from Oro ethnic group, for instance, in the open, and depending on the nature of the gathering, would speak out passionately for the zoning of the 2015 governorship in Akwa Ibom State to Eket Senatorial District which they are part of, but in the private or exclusive Oro meeting they would lay claim, and somehow justifiably so, to their right – moral right, though – to produce a successor that will take over from Governor Godswill Akpabio.

For now, six politicians – and that includes names like Mr. Okon Iyanam, Barr. Effiong Abia, Mr. Larry Esin, Michael Onofiok and Barr.Asuquo Okpo – from Oron Federal Constituency are said to be vying for governorship, while Eket and Ikot Abasi federal constituencies have seven and four aspirants respectively.

The Oro perspective to the 2015 race is that if Akwa Ibom truly stands on a tripod when it comes to ethnicity, and Ibibio, represented then by Obong Victor Attah,  Annang, currently by Chief Godswill Akpabio, then Oro should naturally take their turn to produce a governor in 2015.

But there is a snag.

When you have a Chief Nduese Essien repeatedly say “the Assembly is not about any ethnic group, but was out to ensure that the most credible candidate emerges from the senatorial district” or a Dr. Ukana Bassey, former Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly member representing Ibiono Ibom State Constituency, caution publicly “guys, the zoning is for Eket Senatorial District.  ….We tend to forget that and constantly allude to Eket people, Eket nation etc. They are not the same thing as Eket Senatorial District” then it is suggestive that Ekid perhaps isn’t seeing 2015 from the Oro viewpoint.

Mr. Effiong Eyo Snr, from Udung Uko, may very well be a representation of  the many Oro politicians who are now narrowing the campaign to ‘yes, 2015 is Oro turn’. Effiong Eyo Snr, in a recent interview with THINK AKWA IBOM!, was very specific that “Oro man should be allowed to lead Akwa Ibom come 2015 for the sake of peace in the state”.

Eyo’s argument goes like this: “If I travel to China today they will address me as an African. If I’m in Ghana I will be addressed as a Nigerian. In Nigeria, I’m known as Akwa Ibomite. Now, coming down to the issue of Eket Senatorial District, Oro nation has five LGAs out of the 12 LGAs in the district, which makes Oro the largest in Eket Senatorial District. If in the Senatorial District, Eket that is next to Oro in terms of size has produced Late Dr. Clement Isong and Late Brigadier General U.J Esuene as governors in both military and civil (regimes), and presently someone from Eket is occupying the senate seat, I think it is right for an Oro man to be considered this time.”

As the zoning debate continues in Akwa Ibom, one question that begs for answer is: can Ekid not just demonstrate, but teach the other senatorial districts in the state, a lesson in political maturity, equity and fairness by backing Oro to produce the next Akwa Ibom governor in 2015?