At a meeting in Uyo the Akwa Ibom state capital at the weekend (precisely Saturday night) Ibibio elders rebuffed Governor Godswill Akpabio’s persuasion to accept a candidate from the Eket senatorial district for the 2015 governorship.
Governor Akpabio who summoned the elders to the Government House, tried in vain to sell the Eket candidacy to the elders who insisted on a candidate from Uyo senatorial district.
The elders rejected Akpabio ‘s request outright on the grounds that the bulk of the Ibibio reside in Uyo.Even more , a subsisting rotation agreement alots the next governorship of the state to the Ibibios.
According to the elders, it was the bulk votes of the Ibibio from Uyo that gave victory to Akpabio while the Eket voted an Eket and the Oron voted an Oron.
In any case, the elders pointed out, a subsisting agreement actually gives the next governorship to Uyo which Akpabio has clearly breached.
They said since it was Akpabio who breached the agreement, he therefore has no moral right to determine how the Uyo senatorial district votes anymore.
The governor has been fighting seriously to have his way. According to insiders ,he keeps boasting at meetings that he has the backing of President Goodluck Jonathan.It is on such grounds that Akpabio has been urging Ibibio leaders to cooperate with him ,according to a source “ because there will be no election in 2015.He tells his people he will install a governor acceptable to the president”
“Akpabio keeps dropping the name of the president much to the chagrin of his people” the source said.
The governor is also said to be claiming that he knows how to handle INEC and that there will in fact be no real election in the 2015 governorship race in the state.Such claims have shocked some stakeholders in the state.
But insiders said, the Ibibios may have seen through Akpabio’s shemes and they appear determined have their way.
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