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| Ambassador Aniefiok Akpan, President, Essien Udim Council on Political Affairs |
By Nse Peter
The people of Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom
State have apologised to former governor of the state, Obong Victor Attah, former
petroleum minister, Chief Don Etiebet and a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
governorship aspirant in the state, Mr. Umana Okon Umana for the humiliation
they have suffered at different times in the hands of Governor Godswill
Akpabio.
The people under the aegis of Essien Udim Council on
Political Affairs acknowledged in a press statement, Saturday, the
contributions Attah, Etiebet, Umana and other politicians in the state have
made in the political career of Governor Godswill Akpabio.
“Council wishes to tender apology to Obong Victor Attah,
Chief Don Etiebet, Mr. Umana Okon Umana, Bishop Samuel Akpan, Obong Bassey
Albert Akpan, Dr. Ime Sampson Umanah, Obong Nsima Ekere and several other
politicians who have been humiliated at one time or the other by Chief Godswill
Akpabio, in spite of their individual and collective political investments on
Chief Akpabio that had enable him (Akpabio) to reach where he is now in the
politics of Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria,” the group said in a statement signed
by its president, Ambassador Aniefiok Akpan.
The group disassociated the people of Essien Udim from
recent utterances of Akpabio against Attah and other elders in Akwa Ibom.
Governor Godswill Akpabio is currently engaged in what
appears to be an endless political battle against party elders like Victor
Attah, Don Etiebet, Senator Aloysius Etok, former minister of women affairs,
Obong Rita Akpan.
During the last anniversary of the creation of Akwa Ibom
State, Akpabio arrogantly made a veiled reference to former governor, Victor
Attah as ‘local champion’, and called on the youth of the state to rise up in ‘positive
rebellion’ against the elders.
Essien Udim Council on Political Affairs said they were
worried about “the rising political tension which could escalate to a point of
tainting or even disrupting the political process, peace and governance in the
State, if not contained immediately”.
It advised Akpabio to refrain from making utterances that
will deepen political and ethnic tension, and begin a process of reconciliation
among the ethnic groups in Akwa Ibom as well as the different factions of PDP
in the state.
“Council calls on Chief Godswill Akpabio to take up the role
of a leader and father to all, and desist from endorsing, funding and
campaigning for any of the PDP governorship aspirants in Akwa Ibom State,” the
group said.(See below scanned copy of the press statement by the Essien Udim Council on Political Affairs)
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