Godswill Akpabio: says

Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom

….May Field Hon.David Etuk For National Assembly Elections

…Mass Defection Looms Among Governor Udom Emmanuel’s Aides

All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State has intensified its membership drives to shore up its chances in the 2019 general elections by going after former aides of the immediate past state governor and the current Senate minority leader ,Senator Godswill Akpabio as well as the aides of the incumbent Governor Udom Emmanuel.

Those that have so far yielded to the pressures and have already defected to APC include Hon.Udo Silas, former special assistant to the governor and general manager of the state-owned Akwa Ibom Newspapers Corporation, publishers of Pioneer Newspapers for eight years from Onna Local Government Area; Hon.Samuel Frank, former special adviser on political and legislative affairs now commissioner representing the state in the board of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) also from Onna Local Government Area .Hon Agu ,former special assistant on project also fronm Onna Local Government Area.The incumbent Governor Udom Emmanuel is from Onna like the defectors.

Others are Hon.Uduak Udoudo ,former special assistant on protocol from Essien Udim Local Government Area; Ifiok Udobot, former special assistant on protocol from Abak Local Government Area; Barr.Chris Okolie, former Special Assistant to Governor Emmanuel on Electoral Matters from Etim Ekpo Local Government Area and most recently Hon.Ibanga Etang, former special assistant to Governor Udom Emmanuel on projects. Etang variously served as Executive Chairman as well as Transition Caretaker Chairman in his Esit Eket Local Government Area, among others. Despite the defection of several former aides of Akpabio and serving aides of Governor Emmanuel ,one person whom APC wants at all cost is David Etuk from Nsit Ibom Local Government Area of the state.

An APC chieftain from Uyo Senatorial District who refused to be named that Hon.Etuk is a politician with large following beyond his Etinan,Nsit Ibom and Nsit Ubuim Federal Constituency.According to him “the young man touched many lives when he was serving the administration of former Governor Akpabio as Senior Special Assistant on Projects,the people are not in a hurry to forget his show of love and as such we need him to to help the party win the three local government areas of Etinan, Nsit Ibom and Nsit Ubuim,” he concluded.

Also, a former Chapter chairman of Peoples Democratic Party [PDP ] in Nsit Ibom who also refused to be named until appropriate time said:

‘’During the February 2018 stakeholders meeting of PDP in the area,the likelihood of Hon.Etuk joining his former colleagues in APC was discussed and what makes the matter delicate is the fact that during the December 2017 National Conventions of PDP, Etuk was nominated for the position of National Ex-Officio Member of the Party’s National Executive Committee representing South South zone and there was no opposition because the position was ceded to Akwa Ibom State along with that of the National Legal Adviser occupied by Barr.Emmanuel Moses Enoidem. But on reaching Abuja and to everyone’s surprise his name was replaced. Since then nothing has been done for him or for people of this area,nothing,not even a commissionership position is given to this area. It shows the party and the government do not reckon with us. If Hon.Etuk defects, many of us will join him. In fact the impact will be beyond description. Already APC people are offering him ticket to contest either for the position of Member House of Representatives of Etinan,Nsit Ibom and Nsit Ubuim Federal Constituency or Uyo Senatorial District. Our son is an asset and everyone knows that,we are watching his body language.’’

Observers of political activities in the area are of the opinion Hon. that Etuk may defect between now and the month of May this year as the pressures on him are unrelenting.If he joins them, the party will likely field him as candidate for the position of Member of House Of Representatives of Etinan,Nsit Ibom and Nsit Ubium Federal constituency or that of Uyo Senatorial District in 2019 national assembly elections.

Meanwhile, the crises of confidence between Governor Emmanuel and the few Akpabio loyalists in the government has continued unabatedly. This was further confirmed by the recent redeployment of Capt.Iniobong Ekong [ rtd ] from the position of special assistant on security to the governor to an obscure position as special assistant on social service, while his position was given to a non indigene in the person of Fubara Duke from Kalabari in Rivers State who served in the era of former governor Akpabio as deputy director of operation in the state command of state security services (SSS). This is because he is no longer trusted and opposition from anti-Akpabio elements in the government which delays the elevation of Isantim Kenneth Okon from his present position of senior special assistant on local government monitoring to the vacated position of commissioner.

A source in government house working with the chief press secretary,Mr.Ekerete Udoh said that the dilly dallying by the governor in cabinet change and in bringing into government of real politicians is likely going to back fire because election is less than one year. If Akpabio and his men are no longer trusted,then people that can neutralized their influence should be recruited. He described the recent defection into PDP by some former APC chieftains as those of hungry men looking for what to eat and government creditors looking forward to payment of the debts Akpabio’s administration owed them. There is nothing those people can do even in their areas. As APC set to begins her congress, the quest to have Hon.David Etuk defect to the party has been intensified from the APC chieftains and the defectors who were his colleagues in the immediate past administration.

According to a government house source, beyond the impactful resignation and defection of Hon.Etang, well over 10 aides of Governor Emmanuel have secretly registered in APC waiting for the commencement of the party’s congress scheduled for next month for them to hand over their resignation letters. According to the source working with Gov.Emmanuel it is a waste of time,one of the aides is from the crises torn Local Government Area of Ukanafun where the Governor’s approach to problem of insecurity is believed to be inadequate.