-Umo Eno: Itu/Ibiono Ibom youths predict doom for Akwa Ibom PDP
-fault Udom Emmanuel on imposition
Akwa Ibom youths under the auspices of ITU/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency Youth Leaders Forum have warned that the Peoples Democratic Party will collapse in Akwa Ibom State if Governor Udom Emmanuel insists on imposing his preferred candidate on the people and disrupting the micro zoning arrangements in the state.
The Itu/Ibiono youth leaders, who gave the warning during a press briefing on Tuesday, 1st March, 2022 at the Press Centre, Uyo, also faulted the governor on the procedure and approach he used to present and support his successor, describing them as undemocratic, the development they feared spell doom for PDP in the state.
The youths led by Barr Bassey Bassey Etim, and supported by Barr Anietie Isaac Bassey and Comrade George Akpan among others, accused the governor of breaching existing accords on micro zoning in the state, which they said favours Itu/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency.
They also warned that if nothing is done the spate of imposition, impunity and lack of internal democracy in PDP in the state by allowing equity, justice and fairplay to take the course, another political party will take over the Hilltop Mansion come 2023.
The Itu/Ibiono Ibom youths were particularly worried that Governor Udom Emmanuel has resorted to intimidation and threat in a bid to cow dissenting voices, while diverting the commonwealth of the state to bankroll personal interest.
“The governor can support whoever he chooses but not overtly covertly coerce appointees or political officeholders with threats of sanction or falling out of his favour for failing to support his preferred aspirant or candidate, and or expressing their support other aspirants, Otherwise, imposition of any guise will certainly bring the existence of our party in Akwa Ibom State to an end, while promoting other political parties”, the youths cautioned.
They argued that it is turn of Itu/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency to produce the next governor of Akwa Ibom State since Uyo and Etinan Federal Constituencies had took theirs through Obong Victor Attah and Obong Akpan Isemin respectively.
“Greatly dissatisfied by this undemocratic action which is a clear breach of unwritten accords of relevance stakeholders as it were on the zoning of the governorship position in Uyo Senatorial District, we Youth Leaders in Itu/t Ibom Federal Constituency state as follows:
“That His Excellency the Governor of Akwa Ibom State should not breach the accord that had existed, in micro zoning the governorship position to Etinan Federal Constituency being part of the Old Uyo in the Uyo Conference District that already had one of their sons in the person of Obong Akpan Isemin occupy the office. This will be a clear injustice to Itu/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency.
“On the 30th day January, 2022, the Governor presented his preferred aspirant to some stakeholders in the state. Unfortunately, the said aspirant is not from Itu/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency. most unfortunate too is that most critical stakeholders were not invited to witness the said presentation or allowed to give their opinion.
“On the hill of this disheartening and unfortunate action, other soul searching questions naturally again beg for answers: Why were the likes of Itai Afe Annang and Ahta Oro not invited to the meeting as the Oku Ibom Ibibio was? Do they not also have a part to play in the political landscape of the state? Some members of the National Assembly caucus were conspicuously left out. Are they not also major stakeholders?
“That His Excellency be democratic in the his approach towards supporting his preferred candidate b y separating and distinguishing his official position from his personal and private capacity in influencing and or imposing a person or aspirant on the state. To this end, we pray that His Excellency refrain from using state resources for a person as against the corporate cooperate interest of the state,” the youths posited.
