Akan Udobia’s trajectory: Can kingmaker become king?
By Assam Abia.
Within the orbital world of politics, a political Kingmaker can become king.
Penultimate week, Hon Akanimo Udobia, a leading contender for the forth coming House of Assembly election and son of the political leader of Esit Eket, in company of over 200 unit leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Esit Eket, picked his intent and nomination forms to contest as a member representing Esit Eket/Ibeno State Constituency in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly come 2023.
The event joggled the minds of pundits who never saw it coming, especially as the political “Kingmaker” of Esit Eket, Elder Benjamin Udobia had not in recent months, spilled his consent, for his biological son to mount the podium.
Rife in the square was the news that the leader had before now approved and consented to the aspiration of his cousin, one Mr Udobia Friday, the Joint Labour Committee Chairman of the Core Oil Producing Community, against the popular choice of the people, being his biological son, Akan Udobia.
Elder Ben Udobia is now torn between the popular choice of the people of Esit Eket, his biological son, and his choice of Mr Udobia Friday, his cousin.
But the question is, can a kingmaker become a king, The answer is in the positive, if it is not culturally and politically abominable. And most especially when heir to the throne is the popular choice of the people.
Pundits are of the opinion that Elder Benjamin Udobia feels that a kingmaker can not become king. He is believed to be cautious of what people may say if his son becomes the king, forgetting that his son is the preferred choice of majority of the people of Esit Eket and Ibeno Local Government Areas.
Critics from Esit Eket who are of the opinion that Elder Ben Udobia should not allow his son become the next House of Assembly member should be reminded that Dr Olusola Saraki, a kingmaker, installed the son as Governor of Kwara State, who later became the Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Tinubu installed the wife as Senator.
Back here in Akwa Ibom, Senator Effiong Bob, a kingmaker, made his son Otobong Bob a member of the State House of Assembly and has speculatively negotiated for the son’s second term by stepping down from contesting as Governor of the State. So, what’s bad in rewarding Elder Ben Udobia with House of Assembly slot for his son.
There is absolutely nothing wrong for Elder Benjamin Udobia to allow the popular will of the people have its way by giving his blessing to his son, Hon Akan Udobia, to represent the people of his Constituency. What is absolutely wrong is the imposition of a wrong person to the throne, against the sailing wind.
Akan Udobia’s political antecedent and efforts inside the political palace of his father, has been crowned by mass followership and loved by the people, as amplified by the affinity he enjoyed when PDP unit leaders accompanied him to purchase his nomination form.
Findings has exhumed facts which may rubbish the hard earned reputation of Benji Udobia, if he doesn’t allow his son mount the podium, as a popular choice. Afterall, it will be counted as a reward for his leadership sweat for Esit Eket over the years.
The people have rejected Mr Udobia Friday due to his abysmal performance as Joint Labour Committee Chairman. He is seen as a dark horse in a circle of horders whose interests runs variant with the syllogistic reasoning of patriotism.
Let the choice of the people be. Akan Udobia is the preferred aspirant of the people, for Esit Eket/Ibeno State Constituency, come 2023.
Assam Abia, a veteran journalist, writes from Eket. The Pen Oracle has never gotten it wrong. Never.
