File Photo: Governor Godswill Akpabio |
By Nse Peter
Edet Akpan, a retired major-general in the Nigerian army, is
the latest high-ranking opinion leader in Akwa Ibom State to lambast Governor
Godswill Akpabio over his leadership style which many people in the state of
late have termed as either being too sectional, anti-people or self-centred.
Edet Akpan in a one-page advert placed in The Nation newspaper of Thursday, 7 August, 2014 berated Governor Godswill Akpabio over his comment during the recent visit of PDP national chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, that “those who want to take power through the backdoor will die. They will die, and PDP will continue . . .” (Read the transcript of Governor Akpabio’s speech here)
“Luckily for the Governor, in today’s governance, there is no difference between personal resources and public treasury. And I also know that the Governor, for now, has a saleable aspirant. So what then is the Governor’s problem?”
Edet Akpan in a one-page advert placed in The Nation newspaper of Thursday, 7 August, 2014 berated Governor Godswill Akpabio over his comment during the recent visit of PDP national chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, that “those who want to take power through the backdoor will die. They will die, and PDP will continue . . .” (Read the transcript of Governor Akpabio’s speech here)
Adamu Mu’azu was in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State for
the groundbreaking ceremony for a permanent PDP state secretariat.
Akpan says what he has been able to deduce from the governor’s
remarks is that first, “Akpabio had empowered his chosen political sons in order
for them to be loyal and serve the Governor’s interest at all costs!” Secondly,
“the Governor (leader of his Party in the State) doesn’t believe that
Governorship aspirants will go through the due process of primaries set up by
his Party, rather he expects some aspirants to go through the backdoor!”
Thirdly, “The Governor desires and surely expects his disloyal political sons
to die!” And finally, “The Governor expects every Akwa Ibomite in the political
process to follow him; nobody can have a different opinion, an indication that
he doesn’t believe in democracy!”
Akpan says the deductions portray Akpabio as being agitated
and desperate.
He stated, “I cannot understand why the Governor should be
desperate. On the contrary, I expect his disloyal political sons to exhibit
signs of desperation – the Governor commands immense personal and State
resources to canvass support for his preferred candidate, whereas his political
sons are seriously handicapped financially”.“Luckily for the Governor, in today’s governance, there is no difference between personal resources and public treasury. And I also know that the Governor, for now, has a saleable aspirant. So what then is the Governor’s problem?”
Since his outburst before Mu’azu, Akpabio who is known for
making reckless and controversial statements has been severely criticized by
many indigenes of the state, including prominent PDP leaders like the Nigerian
ambassador to Russia, Barr. Assam Assam (SAN) who has publicly advised the
Secretary to Akwa Ibom State Government (SSG), Mr. Udom Emmanuel to
disassociate himself from Akpabio’s deadly threat against political opponents.
Mr. Udom Emmanuel has been handpicked by Akpabio to succeed him as governor in
2015. Assam Assam too is eyeing the governorship of the state in 2015.
Edet Akpan admits that Godswill Akpabio as an incumbent
governor has the right to be interested in who succeeds him as the next
governor of Akwa Ibom State, but that Akpabio himself must accept the tenet of
democracy by allowing others to have their opinions.
“I have read in the print media your release that you never
said you will kill anybody. I didn’t read that meaning either from your
remarks. Yes, you never said you will kill anybody. But you expressed a clear
desire for your disloyal political sons to die. These sons are in your age
bracket and so we don’t expect them to die through aging process. The question
some of your subjects would want an answer from you is, who and how do you
expect them to die and by what means?”
(Please Click here, to read Gen. Edet Akpan’s open letter to
Gov. Akpabio.)
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