No vacancy at Hilltop Mansion, says Emmanuel

SINCE the recent annulment of the Akwa Ibom State governorship election by the Appeal Court, the people of Eket senatorial district, where the incumbent governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel comes from and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have not given anything to chance.

The reasons for this quest to retain the soul of the party and the slot of Eket Senatorial district are not far fetched. According to the party, since 1999 when the current democratic dispensation commenced, the PDP has dominated the state at all levels – governorship, National Assembly members, House of Assembly and the 31 local
government areas.

Again, the party with its internal arrangements had made it that governorship position must be rotated among the three senatorial districts of Uyo, Ikot Ekpene and Eket. To the party, Uyo Senatorial district had the first slot from 1999-2007, when Obong Victor Attah was the governor. From 2007-2015, Ikot Ekpene Senatorial district took
their turn with Senator Godswill Akpabio as governor for eight years.

So, by the party political arrangement, 2015 was the turn of Eket Senatorial district where the incumbent governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel hails from. Therefore, to the PDP, cancellation of the election or calling for a re-run was not the problem because in the state, the party was seen as a religion of sort and a tradition given its domineering influence.

However, what seems an anathema to the party is the strong opposition by the All Progressive Congress (APC), which is presenting a candidate from Uyo Senatorial district, should the Supreme Court uphold the Appeal Court decision. To the PDP such would have given Uyo Senatorial district an upper hand as against others. Hence, they are hinging their hope in the Supreme Court that the victory of Udom would be restored and the status quo sustained.

With this at the back of the minds of the party’s stakeholders, several meetings have been going on across the senatorial districts, federal constituencies and other different groups, all aimed at galvanizing support for the party as well as to drum home the point that Eket senatorial district should not be denied its turn to occupy the Hilltop Mansion.

The PDP are accusing the APC of wanting to alter the political arrangement of the state at the detriment of others, arguing that Eket Senatorial district have every right to complete their turn as governor of Akwa Ibom state.
“We state forcefully for emphasis that this turn is for our senatorial district and we will swim but not sink in our quest for justice with Deacon Udom Emmanuel. We will resist every attempt to steal through the backdoor, our God given mandate,” the people of Eket Federal constituency stated.

According to the people of Ikot Ekpene senatorial district, their faith in the Judiciary as the beacon of justice and the last hope of the common man was not in doubt. They hoped that justice would still be done through the Supreme Court in the 2015 Governorship election.

“The Supreme Court decision will not only serve the need for justice but confirm our faith in the judiciary and save the Federal Government money which would have been wasted in conducting a needless re-run and spare the electorate the discomfort of another election which
result would not be different from the last one.

“We stand by the election of Governor Udom Emmanuel as the governor of Akwa Ibom State and stand by the mandate freely given to him and his deputy, what we demand is a free, fair and credible election because we know that if election is held hundred times in this state,
PDP will win 100 times”.

According to the communiqué read by Otuekong Idongesit Nkanga, the Director General of Udom Emmanuel Campaign Organization after the meeting of the PDP Elders and stakeholders, it was unanimously resolved that Eket Senatorial district should produce the next governor, because this district has not done so since the creation of the state 28 years ago.

“That the elders and stakeholders have noted the verdict of the Appeal Court but still confident in the Nigerian judiciary as the hope of the common man, believing that, the Supreme Court still offers an opportunity for justice to be served to our people”.

The climax of the series of meetings by the PDP across the state was the mega rally by the people of Eket senatorial district, drumming support for one of their
own, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, the incumbent governor of the state.

At the rally, which was attended by other senatorial districts – Uyo and Ikot Ekpene, Emmanuel insisted that he
remained the authentic democratically elected governor of the state despite the campaigns of calumny being carried out allegedly by the opposition party in the state.

According to him, his election as governor of the state represented the symbol of justice and equity, declaring that there was no vacancy in Government House. He expressed confidence of triumph at the Supreme Court over the annulled governorship election, saying that
the divine mandate freely given him by the people of the state subsisted.

He claimed that the people of the state were tired of election, as they could not undertake election for two years; but anxiously yearned for development and industrialization of the state.

“Let the whole country help us. I’m tired of election. We cannot do election for two years in the state. We don’t want election again. Let the whole world bear me witness. Let Nigerians bear me witness.

“Nigerians should help tell the detractors that we want to develop our state, create wealth. We don’t want distraction. All the major oil producing companies are in Eket Senatorial District of the State. Let us allow peace to reign in Akwa Ibom, Niger Delta and the country.”

According to him, the mandate to govern the state was given to him, as a son of Eket Senatorial District that until the current dispensation, did not produced a governor since the creation of the state 28 years ago.

“Eket Senatorial District had never produced a governor in the state. That was why we secured the mandate from the 10 federal constituencies of the state to produce the governor. That is why the people said let those that produce the wealth of the state and nation produce the
governor.

“Let Nigerians know that in Nigeria we want peace, Eket senatorial district will not agree to allow this mandate to go to another senatorial district.  We are ready to defend the mandate. We have full confidence in the Supreme Court because we know justice will be done again”.

The governor said he was overwhelmed by the unprecedented crowd that turned out to honour him at the Eket township stadium commending them for the confidence reposed on him. “I stand here as the great son of the Eket Senatorial District. I am standing on equity and justice. I will never disappoint you”.

The Governor said irrespective of party affiliation, Akwa Ibom is prepared to work with President Muhammadu Buhari administration to move the country forward.

A two-term member of the House of Representatives who was the chairman of the occasion, Chief Nduese Essien said the gathering was not political but meant to honour their son elected as the governor of the state in 2015 and who after seven months in office did not disappoint them.

He urged Governor Emmanuel not to be shaken by the trouble he was passing through, as it was a normal process in democracy stressing that Eket Senatorial District was solidly behind him.

The chairman of the planning committee of the mega rally, Ephraim Inyang, said: “Our son was given the mandate by Akwa Ibom people in April 11, 2015 to govern the state. We are celebrating the mandate for making us proud”.

The state Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Obong Paul Ekpo thanked Eket Senatorial District for giving Akwa Ibom their best who, despite economic down turn has strived to make the State an Industrial hub in Nigeria while the Speaker of the State House of Assembly Hon Onofiok Luke called for the sustenance of the zoning arrangement, stressing that Eket should be allowed now in the spirit of fairness.