Politics
Civil War Breaks Out In Akwa Ibom APC As Akpabio, Akpanudoedehe Go For Broke
By Politics Editor
Civil war has broken out within the Akwa Ibom chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC with supporters of Senator Godswill Akpabio up in arms against those of the national secretary, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe.
In between the two groups are also a number of non-partisans including former minister of petroleum Chief Don Etiebet, the party’s 2019 governorship candidate, Nsima Ekere and party chieftain, former Secretary to the State Government, Umana Umana, and former member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Eseme Eyiboh.
GreenWhiteGreen GWG reports that the war between the two camps follows the adoption of Akpanudoedehe for the 2023 governorship last Friday.
The endorsement was followed by a rival meeting of supporters on Sunday where Akpabio was chosen as the leader of the party to give direction to the party. The meeting in Uyo was boycotted by the state party executive and most party leaders.
Before the meeting, the state executive made repeated public announcements asking party faithful to boycott the Akpabio meeting.
Meanwhile, the group of party stakeholders who met on Friday under the aegis of the Akwa Ibom APC Coalition, AAC constituting of party elders from virtually all parts of the state resolved to mobilise support for Akpanudoedehe.
They affirmed that his appointment as national secretary and the appointments of Akwa Ibom indigenes he facilitated had boosted morale.
Akpanudoedehe was subsequently adopted as ‘Grand Leader’, while Etiebet who was not present was adopted as the Grand Patron of the AAC.
Similarly, Obong Nsima Ekere, Atuekong Inibehe Okorie, Obong Umana Okon Umana, Senator Eme Ufot Ekaette, Senator Nelson Effiong, Chief Barr Bassey Dan Abia, among others were adopted as patrons and matrons.
President-General of the AAC, Archbishop Samuel Akpan, speaking during the event said that the “future was closer than the past, hence the need to organize the internal structure of the party and forge ahead for result-oriented exploits”.
He enjoined Akpanudoedehe to stand in the gap for the party and help adherents realise their goal of taking over from the PDP.
Also speaking at the occasion, a former chairman of the PDP in the state, Arc Otu Ita Toyo welcomed the focus on Akpanudoedehe even as he took potshots at Akpabio, saying that the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC should be used in addressing youth issues and not only succouring militants.
Besides Toyo who was fondly addressed as ‘Total Chair’ party stalwarts including Chief Godwin Afangide, Dr Amadu Attai, Prof Etok Ekanem, Dr Bassey Antai and the Director of Women Affairs, Lady Victoria Mel Udoh took time to praise what they described as the exemplary leadership style of Senator Akpanudoedehe.
Responding to the remarks by the party stalwarts, Senator Akpanudoedehe appreciated their words and recounted his experience in the party saying that God had recognized him and promised not to disappoint them saying that a number of party faithful had already been penciled down for appointments.
He also called on the faithful not to give up in the drive to remove the PDP from control of the state.
However, following the meeting and the adoption of Akpanudoedehe as Grand Leader and Etiebet and others as Grand Patron and patrons respectively, GreenWhiteGreen GWG gathered that a number of them went public to dissociate themselves from the appointments.
Upon that the AAC issued a corrigendum in which it apologized to Etiebet and others for not consulting them before the announcement
The director of publicity and advocacy of the pro-Akpanudoedehe AAC, Edet Eyo Bassey, in a corrigendum obtained by GreenWhiteGreen GWG said:
“In a statement issued in the social media yesterday, 28th March 2021 for and on behalf of A’Ibom APC Coalition (AAC), the names of Atuekong Chief (Dr.) Don Etiebet ( CON) and Senator Eme Ufot Ekaette were published as patron and matron of the coalition.
“Atuekong Don Etiebet has queried the publication of his name on grounds of not having been properly consulted prior to the publication.
“The Coalition regrets the embarrassment the erroneous publication may have caused the duo of Atuekong Don Etiebet and Senator Eme Ekaette.
“We assure the general public that the duo shall be duly and appropriately consulted.”
Following their meeting, another group of APC stakeholders on Sunday adopted Akpabio as the authentic leader of the party in the state.
The stakeholders had gathered themselves on the invitation of a member of the national caucus, and two-time military administrator of Rivers and Ogun states, Group Captain Sam Ewang, (retd).
Also present at the meeting were the interim administrator of the NDDC, Mr. Efiong Akwa, former deputy governor of Akwa Ibom state, Mrs Valerie Ebe, former House of Representatives members, Obongemem Ekperikpe Ekpo and Patty Ineme among others.
GreenWhiteGreen GWG reports that ahead of the meeting that the leadership of the state chapter of the APC had issued a statement asking party faithful to boycott the affair on the claim that Ewang lacked the powers to summon party stakeholders.
”We wish to state that Group Captain Sam Ewang does not have the powers to announce/circulate notice and to convene a Stakeholders Meeting of APC in the state.
”The hierarchy of party therefore directs its organs at all levels not attend such meeting as it is a clear breach of the Constitution of the party, an abuse of privilege and an unnecessary affront to the leadership of the party in the state,” the publicity secretary of the party had said.
The caution was, however, set aside by the Akpabio supporters who met at Whimpey Events Centre, Uyo.
Welcoming party members and chieftains, Ewang said the meeting was auspicious because the party presently lacked leadership and hence the suggestion to invest Akpabio as the minister from the state as leader.
”I watched very sorrowfully, the state of our party. I saw it going down to the drain and almost dead. And I saw people claiming leadership of the party and I watched and I told myself that we are up again to destroy the party.
”Maybe some of you may understand with me, some of you may have been confused but there is no confusion here because Akwa Ibom does not have APC governor. There is a statutory arrangement that after a governor in any state, the minister is a leader.
”So I advised that Senator Godswill Akpabio is the leader of the party, go and get him, they refused. So I said I will go and get him. And when I went, thank God he was there and I told him you are the leader of the party, you have abandoned that party,” Ewang said.
Continuing on how he challenged and blackmailed Akpabio to take over as leader, he said:
“You have not taken your responsibility seriously, for whatever reason. If you don’t come to take your place, and take your responsibility I will call the World press and tell them that this party is dead”, he said.
Welcoming his endorsement as leader, Akpabio said he would rise to the challenge and strengthen the party in the state and bring unity across board.
“I am not the leader of APC in Akwa Ibom, I am only one of the leaders of APC in Akwa Ibom. Sam Ewang Chief Etiebet, Senator Udoedeghe, Umana, Umana, Nsima Ekere are all leaders. But of all the leaders what we are saying is let us pick one person to give us direction. And we also said, let us look at the criteria.
”Today as we are gathered as APC one family, let whatever decision that we are going to make concerning 2023 in Akwa Ibom be a collective one, so that we can go in one direction, and bring benefit from it.
”So for calling me out to give direction to the multitude, so that people don’t go astray. We must end this era of people pretending, when it is time in the night you go in the night and negotiate for position and come out in the day time and enter APC meeting.”
The developments in Akwa Ibom GreenWhiteGreen GWG reports follows the determination of Akpanudoedehe to seek the 2023 ticket of the party and the alleged determination of Akpabio to push some other person.
The two men who collaborated in 2007 to put Akpabio as governor against the intentions of Governor Victor Attah subsequently fell out leading to the defection of Akpanudoedehe to the then Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN on which platform he fought a bloody 2011 governorship election.
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