A’Ibom Reps seat and third term syndrome

The third term bid of the Honourable Emmanuel Ekon in the House of Representatives is stirring disquiet among the chieftains of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in his constituency. INIOBONG EKPONTA in Uyo reports.

Ahead of the 2019 crucial general elections, a huge conflagration is bellowing in the Abak Federal Constituency of Akwa-Ibom state. The crisis at hand has to do with the third term ambition of the Honourable member representing the constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Emmanuel Ekon.

Ekon has already served two terms, and he is seeking a third term in the lower chamber.

But the ambition has placed him in conflict with stakeholders of the constituency.

The Federal Constituency is one of the largest in Akwa Ibom, covering three Local Government Areas including Abak, Etim Ekpo and Ika. Within the PDP, on which platform Ekong won the polls in 2011 and 2015, oppositions have emerged and their sing song has been woven around concepts of “equity, justice and fair play.” They have also been urging the party’s stakeholders to “respect the principle of zoning.”

To them, Ekon’s entry into the politics of the Constituency in 2011, has truncated the long standing tradition of “one term” for any candidate to rotating every four years across the three Local Government Areas.

They recalled that “between 1999 and 2003, Hon. Akan Eyo (Etim Ekpo), took the slot and left it for the late Hon. Ezekiel Anaka (Abak), who occupied the seat between 2003 and 2007, while Hon. Ekperikpe Ekpo, took the turn of Ika, between 2007 and 2011”.

Emmanuel Ekon, according to them, took the turn of Etim Ekpo, when the pendulum swung back to Etim Ekpo, in 2011.

ALSO READ: Fighting corruption difficult in democracy, Buhari says

However, the emergence of Governor Udom Emmanuel in 2015 altered the status quo, when he picked his Deputy from Abak, because, according to Obong Archibong Essien, a community leader in Abak, “Abak was denied its turn because of the argument that since Abak has already produced the deputy governor, the slot for the House of Representatives should continue in another local government.”

Cashing in on that, Ekon, amid series of opposition, was given the slot to return for a second term, thereby breaking the jinx.

Speaking to journalists in an interview in Uyo, Ekon justified his ambition to crave for a third term, explaining that the need for consistency in representation informed his decision.

“To me, zoning especially at the level of National Assembly should be discarded to allow people who are already there, to acquire more exposure and legislative experience to be able to bring quality dividends of democracy to the constituents,” he explained.

He pointed out that “such experience has given me an edge to achieve a lot in this my second term”.

“In my first term, I did not achieve so much because of my inexperience and inability to break into the leadership circle for the necessary connections.

“If you check out what I have achieved this second term, you would discover that these performances, I owe a lot to my experience. Even, I was considered fit to chair a committee,” Ekon explained.

As the Chairman of the Local Content Committee in the oil and gas sector of the Nigerian economy, Ekon, disclosed that he has been able to create jobs and other forms of empowerment to the Federal Constituency.

Therefore, going into another election year, Ekon, is banking on his track record of effective representation, to guarantee a return to the House for the third consecutive term. Opposition is, however, mounting especially from Abak, which has also lined up some other contenders to battle Ekon, for the ticket.

The arrowhead of anti-Ekon’s ambition is his kinsman from Etim Ekpo; the current National Legal Adviser of the PDP, Pastor Emmanuel Enoidem, who has been canvassing for a return of the slot to Abak.

His disposition, according to Ekon’s camp, stem from “irreconcilable differences” between the two erstwhile friends and dashed hopes for amicable resolution of the issues at stake, before the polls.

Comrade Bassey Effiong of the Youths in Political Leadership Forum (YPLF), a Non-Governmental Organisation, said Enidem had tried to stop his second term ambition in 2015, but could not because Hon. Ekon, had divine mandate to deliver the people of Abak.

According to him, “the same God will ensure Ekon’s victory again in 2019,” adding: “if you check the Federal Constituency since the return of democracy in 1999, Ekon is the only lawmaker at that level to make any visible imprints of development in the zone.”

Again, with the bell already tolling for the polls in 2019, Enoidem has rolled out his anti- Ekon agenda, promising to ensure the third term plot is not realized.

But Ekon warned that such a disposition against him could also put Governor Udom Emmanuel’s re-election in serious jeopardy.

He, therefore, advised the party, stakeholders and other leaders of the Federal Constituency to ensure the political space was left open for popular candidates to emerge in a free, fair and transparent process.

The battle for the Federal Constituency appears not to be leaving anything out as far as unfolding scenarios are concerned. For instance, Ekon had recently alleged death threats on the Director General of his campaign. According to the allegation, the Campaign DG, a former Majority Leader in the House of Assembly from Abak, Hon. Imoh Ibokette, was being queried for leaving his kinsmen to support a distant aspirant from Etim Ekpo, whom they said has run afoul of the zoning arrangement.

It was claimed that some youths in the area were being set against Mr. Ibokette, allegedly to stop him from walking freely on the Streets of the of Abak.

Ekon claimed that the death threat to his Campaign Director was made in the presence of PDP elders and stakeholders during a constituency tour of Abak State constituency on June 23, 2018.

Worried by the frightening development in the Federal Constituency, the Traditional Rulers’ Council of Abak and Etim Ekpo, have waded in to the matter.

Towards this end, the Ukpom (Abak) Traditional Rulers Council, where Ibokette hails from, chaired by Obong – In – Council, Chief Ofonime James Akpan, has taken a petition on the matter before the Paramount Ruler of Etim Ekpo, Edidem Amanam Udo and the Village Head of Utu Ikot Eboro, Etteidung Sunday Udoekpo, where Enoidem hails from, appealing for them to intervene.

The petition copied to Governor Emmanuel; his Deputy Obong Moses Ekpo, the Commissioner of Police; the Department of State Services (DSS); the PDP National Chairman; the PDP State Chairman; Senator Godswill Akpabio and others, explained that “the petition became necessary in order for the matter to be addressed before the threat becomes a reality.”

Towards immediate arrest of the situation, the Obong–in-Council of Ukpom, Chief Akpan, while presenting a copy of the petition with a symbolic palm frond and a sharp stick (nnukpat), to the Etim Ekpo Paramount Ruler, urged him to impress it on his subjects to avoid violence.

The royal fathers, who indulged Governor Emmanuel to intervene, said their move to ensure immediate resolution of the face off became necessary following the collapse of security architecture in Etim Ekpo and Ukanafun.

The Etim Ekpo Paramount Ruler, Edidem Amanam Udo and the Village Head of Utu Ikot Eboro, Etteidung Udoekpo, Enoidem’s community, stressed the need for peace ahead of the crucial 2019 elections and promised to take the matter up with Enoidem, with a view to finding amicable solution.

But when Journalists contacted him via phone, the PDP Legal Adviser was quick to deny the allegation of resort to violence adding that all he said was to ask the Abak people to isolate him (Ibokette).

The post A’Ibom Reps seat and third term syndrome appeared first on Tribune.