The return of Godswill Akpabio
Prior to the judgement of a Federal HIGH Court, which ruled that Godswill Akpabio (CON) former minister of the ministry of the Niger Delta, former Senate minority leader, former governor of Akwa Ibom State,is and will be the senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Ikot Ekpene senatorial district, many pundits had taken it for granted, that Emmanuel Enoidem, a cerebral lawyer, immediate past Legal Adviser to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), longest serving commissioner in the Akpabio led State government, between 2007 to 2015, erstwhile Akpabio confidant, was the senator-in-waiting, even before the elections, which SHALL hold five months away, ,in February,2023.
The reason for thinking so was not far fetched; there were no serious candidates or contenders available (across Party platforms), to challenge him for the prize. However, ALL that has changed, with the ALL clear signal given to Senator Akpabio,by the Court.
It must be acknowledged, that Enoidem’s party (the PDP), holds the advantage,in Akwa Ibom State, generally. But how that general advantage, will be converted to immediate capital for Enoidem in the forthcoming electoral duel,is another matter entirety.
BACKGROUND;
Godswill Obot Akpabio,is from Essien Udim LGA,in Ikot Ekpene Federal constituency, while Emmanuel Moses Enoidem,is from Etim Ekpo,in Abak Federal constituency; both gentlemen who are lawyers,are Annang speaking.
Godswill Akpabio came into public office,in 2001, when he was assigned to the portfolio of Petroleum and Mineral Resources,by Akwa Ibom State’s erstwhile governor,Obong Victor Attah,an architect.
Chief Godswill Akpabio warmed himself into the heart of his boss, and was soon assigned to the ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs,a position he executed with elan. He did that job so well that his then boss, began to develop ideas about him,as his possible successor, come 2007.
With that disposition, he (Godswill Akpabio’s boss), accorded him humongous privileges, which exposed him to the power circuits in the State, to the extent that when he(Attah) was prevailed upon by his close allies to have a rethink, Godswill Akpabio had already gone so far ahead,as to eventually contest for the state’s Governorship position successfully,in spite of, and notwithstanding his erstwhile boss’ adversarial disposition to him, eventually. Senator Godswill Akpabio won, and became governor,in 2007.
Prior to Akpabio’s emergence in 2007, Emmanuel Enoidem was until then,a powerful State principal officer, of the PDP; he was the party’s State Treasurer. In that position,he was a close and very trusted ally of the State governor, Obong Victor Attah.
Senator Godswill Akpabio had subsequently invited Enoidem into his cabinet, and he had served in many roles,one of which was in the ministry of Special Duties, which took charge of some of the most important developments embarked upon,by the Akpabio administration, between 2007-2015.
Those critical projects included the stadium,the airport, and others. In a phrase, Enoidem was a trusted insider,in the Akpabio administration; he was said to have been a loyal and very dependable ally. He was reputed to be very capable too. He was also reputed to be a highly trusted personal friend of Chief Godswill Akpabio.
To underscore the bond that existed between both men, Enoidem was only one out of very few trusted allies entrusted with the responsibility of midwifing the transition from Chief Godswill Akpabio to a new government, which emerged,in 2015.
THAT new government,was headed by Mr Udom Gabriel Emmanuel,the incumbent, but outgoing governor of Akwa Ibom State, who is at the present time fully engaged in midwifing another transition to a successor. Incidentally, Barrister Emmanuel Enoidem is in the thick of the project.
As part of Akpabio’s transition plans, between 2014 and 2015, some commissioners in the departing regime,were left behind, to stabilize the new regime. Emmanuel Enoidem was just one of very few men entrusted with that assignment, after which he ascended to the national office of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
He became the National Legal Adviser of the party,in a well choreographed, long term political development and advancement plan, laid down by Godswill Akpabio,as mastermind, while Akpabio himself contested, and won election as senator, representing Akwa Ibom North West (Ikot Ekpene senatorial district). He shortly became the Senate’s minority leader, after the 2015 elections.
THINGS FALL APART;
By the later part of 2017, there were rumours of Godswill Akpabio developing a romantic relationship with the party in power at the center,the APC.
Godswill Akpabio initially brushed off those allegations,as rumours, but about the middle of 2018, Godswill Akpabio deCAMPed to the APC, in a seismic political development that was unforseen, and therefore was unprepared for. Most of his erstwhile political allies were bewildered, while his erstwhile opponents,who had by that development become his allies, were Wrong-footed by the move.
Enoidem and many other Akpabio allies, remained in the PDP.
Few months after that, national elections were held (between February and April,2019). Godswill Akpabio unexpectedly, lost his bid for a return to the Senate, but he remained in reckoning,as he was appointed minister of the critical Ministry of the Niger Delta, a position he used to continue leveraging and oiling his political STRUCTURE in the state.
During that senatorial Electoral contest which he lost,a former Deputy governor of Akwa Ibom State,His Excellency, Dr Christopher Stephen Ekpenyong, was drafted in, to face Godswill Akpabio. Incidentally, both men had served in the Attah government. Ekpenyong served in the capacity of Deputy governor, while Akpabio himself was commissioner for local government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
Ekpenyong’s impeachment in or about 2005, which was later converted to resignation, was said to have been powered with funds largely sourced from the local government and Chieftaincy Affairs ministry, which Godswill Akpabio superintended,a fact that was said to have been dredged up by Ekpenyong’s drafters, thus making him a natural opponent of Godswill Akpabio, for the grueling elections of that year.
Insiders also disclosed that Enoidem was offered the ticket for that election gratis, but he reportedly declined to contest, against his former boss and confidant, hence Ekpenyong’s emergence, through an affirmation vote, instead of the usual costly primaries.
POLITICAL REENGINEERING;
As the preparations for the 2023 national elections were shaping up, Senator Godswill Akpabio,in a move that many did not anticipate, purchased the nomination and expression of interest forms, for the office of President of Nigeria, and submitted his resignation from the office of minister.
Chief Godswill Akpabio campaigned vigorously for the party’s presidential primaries, but conceded to the eventual choice of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed TINUBU, popularly called the JAGABAN, during the Party’s presidential convention,in June 2022.
In other, further developments,hours before the close of nomination for the elective offices,his party ordered the cancellation of earlier primaries to the office of senator in his constituency, which status was at that time uncertain. Some say owing to a well laid out plan, orchestrated by himself.
Godswill Akpabio contested the rescheduled primaries,was declared winner,and his name was submitted as senatorial candidate,by his party. Thereafter, several litigations ensued between his opponent, retired Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Udom Ekpoudom and himself, with his party backing him.
The erstwhile, departing State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), Mr Mike Igini, DID NOT also appear to have given him much comfort, while overseeing the conduct of the party’s (APC’s) primaries. Igini had alleged that Akpabio had compromised heavily, and shortchanged some of his party men whom he was not well disposed to.
LOOKING AHEAD;
Prior to putting this piece together ( on Monday,26/9/2022),we had sent a simple text message to several political and other elite, from Akpabio’s senatorial district. The text carried only one question:
How do you feel about Godswill Akpabio’s candidacy,in the upcoming Senate elections?
(Please note that this was NOT a survey,or poll).
RESPONSES;
Majority replied that it was a good development, being that people of the area,did not have any high caliber politicians left, to speak for them at the center, particularly with the receding profile and image of the once very powerful Atuekong Don Etiebet (now a member of the Board of Trustees of the APC), receding from the national scene, and the unfortunate death of Dr Ime Sampson Umanah ,a very outspoken politician and businessman, in an accident,few years ago.
They said that Akpabio’s growing profile and ascendancy onto the national stage, was a good development for the state generally, the senatorial district,and Annang nation.
*Some said that with the confusion that had enveloped his party, APC in the state,it will be a Sisyphian assignment, for him to win election,in 2023.
*Some respondents noted that with all of Akpabio’s rise, and rise and rise,in politics, that he had never really contested elections before, being that he had ALWAYS enjoyed the favours of the community, who ALWAYS voted en masse, for his erstwhile Party.
A respondent noted that the upcoming election will constitute an acid test for Akpabio, who will be facing a real Electoral Engineer,in the person of Barrister Emmanuel Enoidem, who was his genie, but had now become his own man.
THE FIELD;
There are 10(ten) Local Government Areas in Ikot Ekpene senatorial district, comprising eight Annang speaking councils; Abak,Etim Ekpo,Ika,Ukanafun and Oruk Anam, popularly called Abak Five, with Ikot Ekpene, Essien Udim and Obot Akara making up the balance. The two Ibibio speaking areas of the district are; Ikono and Ini Local Government Areas.
There are four Federal constituencies, comprising; Ukanafun/Oruk Anam, Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika, Ikot Ekpene/Essien Udim/ Obot Akara, then Ikono/Ini Federal constituencies.
During Akpabio’s eight years reign, his administration greatly impacted Ikot Ekpene, Essien Udim, Abak, Etim Ekpo, Ika and Obot Akara, with Roads, while a major road was constructed between Etim Ekpo and Ukanafun council areas.
He also leveraged many Young, upwardly mobile folk, through an agency named the Inter-ministerial Direct Labour Agency. Through this office, thousands of small contracts, valued between five million Naira, up to amounts like fifty million Naira,were awarded to young men,thus giving them unexpected, but needed leverage.
Respondents to the query we sent out said that Akpabio’s regime did not do very well in Oruk Anam and Ukanafun generally(regarding physical development), an experience which some persons from Ikono and Ini also echoed.
This reality they said, will likely reflect In the voting, for the Senate position,come February 2023.
There is also a fervent agitation for an indigene of Abak Federal constituency, to ascend to the esteemed office of Senator, an office which no indigene of the area has occupied since Nigeria’s independence,in 1960.
Indigenes of the areas comprising that enclave; Abak, Etim Ekpo and Ika, insist that it is their turn, that equity favours their son, Emmanuel Enoidem,who is from Etim Ekpo. They cite the instance of former Senator Aloysius Etok, an indigene of Ikono/Ini Federal constituency,who was favoured in 2007, the very year Akpabio won election to become governor.
THAT year, Aloysius Etok was penciled down to contest the Senate elections, even as he DID NOT win with the popular vote.
OTHER FACTORS;
Emmanuel Enoidem’s Party, the PDP,enjoys an overwhelming presence across the length and breadth of the senatorial district, and across the State.
The party has an incumbent governor,Mr Udom Gabriel Emmanuel,who holds the keys to the state’s Treasury, which he Will expectedly deploy, to the leverage of his associate, Emmanuel Enoidem’s advantage. The Party also controls ALL of the 10 Local Government Areas in the district.
ALL the serving aides to the incumbent governor,are PDP.
It is therefore expected that Enoidem’s campaign, will lack neither men,nor materials, to use for his election efforts.
On the other hand, Akpabio’s men are littered ALL over the areas. Most of his erstwhile political appointees are still active politically, even as they have farmed out into different parties. A respondent described them as internally displaced politicians (IDPs),but they are active still, and could be mobilized Into a potent,lethal force.
Even traditional rulers may work in Akpabio’s favor. Someone remarked that it was during Akpabio’s reign as commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, that Jeeps were given to Paramount rulers, for the first time in the history of the state. Thereafter, Akpabio donated vehicles to clan heads when he became governor.
However, Akpabio’s Achilles tendon,may be financial…most of the candidates contesting to the various offices, may be looking up to him for funding.
VERDICT?
It is too early in the day to call the election. All that can be said for now, is that there is the prospect of a very keenly contested election, with the forces well and evenly matched,by today’s assessment.
EPILOGUE;
Within the senatorial district, there are other political parties angling for the Senate position. For instance,the Young Progressive Party (YPP), has Honorable Emmanuel Ekon as its candidate.
but… their momentum is yet to be felt.
