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| 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
I'm interested in the office in the future.
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