Attah vs Akpabio: Cold war rages

Attah vs Akpabio: Cold war rages 31/7/2008

Against the backdrop of the unending cold war between the immediate past governor of Akwa Ibom State, Obong Victor Attah and his successor, Chief Godswill Akpabio, INIOBONG EKPONTA traces the root of the crisis, which may affect the socio-political and economic fabrics of the 21-year-old state. Until May 29 last year, Obong Victor Bassey Udo Attah superintended over oil rich Akwa Ibom as the second civilian governor of the 21-year-old state. Attah was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 1999 following political change of guard from military rule to democracy. In 2003, Obong Attah was again re-elected to pilot the ship of the state. However, the drum beat of power shift resonated in the twilight of his government, pitching Attah’s Ibibio ethnic group (which had enjoyed much political power) against the Annangs which recently came to the state political calculus with the election of Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio, an Annang of Essien Udim extraction. Attah had during the December 2006 governorship primaries held at the State House of Assembly complex, Uyo, said the decision to respect the zoning principle was in line with ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo’s directive as adopted by the PDP . With the political blank cheque handed over to Annang, the race for the Hilltop Mansion; Akwa Ibom seat of government was thrown open. Roll of contestants included Obong Ime Umana; Chief Don Etiebet; Obong Christopher Ekpenyong; Dr. Udoma Bob Ekarika; Chief Itak Bob Ekarika and Akpabio, who took the crown when the final whistle was blown. He beat the over 50 candidates who jostled for the exalted position to the PDP ticket. But the battle was fiercely fought as Attah who had initially anointed Akpabio, withdrew his support mid way and positioned Dr. Ekarika, his son-in-law who served in his cabinet as Works Commissioner to succeed him. And with the power of incumbency and state funds at his disposal, Attah succeeded in pushing his son-in-law to the fore, but Ekarika, eventually lost to a combination of forces. He, however, came second in the contest, but Attah was quick to devise another strategy, taking the matter to the party turf where he is the Board of Trustees (BOT) member. Those army of Akpabio’s supporters who rolled out the drums when Akpabio was declared winner of governorship primaries were quick to stop celebration when the picture was no longer clear about who would be declared the party’s flag bearer. What heightened the anxiety of Akpabio’s men was PDP’s abracadabra politics, which could see the first becoming the last and the last first. The political atmosphere of Akwa Ibom was heavily charged; suspense reigned supreme, giving room to speculations. When Akpabio could not be persuaded by his boss whom he served as Commissioner for Lands, Petroleum and Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs between 2002 and 2006, the PDP hierarchy led by the then BOT Chairman, Chief Tony Anenih stepped in. The party was in dire need of party faithful who could win election and Akpabio fit the bill . At the reconciliation meeting held at Ibom Hall, Uyo, the Anenih group was able to impress it on Attah to sheathe his sword so that the state would not go to the opposition because of the crisis. Attah was, therefore, asked to choose a running mate to Akpabio and he beckoned on his loyal friend and former Commissioner for Information, Chief Patrick Ekpotu, an engineer to team up with Akpabio in the task of running the state. But in a manner reminiscent of Jesus Christ’s encounter with his disciple, Peter in the Bible, Attah lifting Akpabio’s hand asked three times: "Akpabio do you love me?", to which he answered three times in the affirmative. But the battle line was to be drawn again soon after Akpabio was sworn in on May 29 last year. He said Attah left empty treasury with N40 billion declared missing from the vault. Although Akpabio was quick to eat up his words, which were already amplified on the state-run radio, Attah saw this as a breach of the reconciliation agreement. Since he took seat last year, Attah’s men in hooded garbs including Ekarika have been critical of Akpabio’s style of administration. Several petitions allegedly from Attah’s camp were sent to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accusing the government and its officials of engaging in corruption. Secretary to State Government (SSG), Obong Umana Okon Umana; the Speaker of the State House of Assemby, Rt. Hon. Ignatius Edet and the former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Patrick Udomfang were among those summoned by the anti-graft agency to Abuja over the allegation, which the SSG described as baseless and frivolous. He said the EFCC could not prosecute the case because the petitioners were faceless. Also, the battle for the soul of the PDP in Akwa Ibom has once again pitched Attah against his estranged god-son, Akpabio. At the expiration of the tenure of Chief Otu Ita Toyo as the chairman of the party in the state late last year, investigation by The Nation revealed that Attah was given the free hand to pick the next chairman of the party. Akpabio mobilised his men to take over the party machinery. They include Prince Uwem Ita Etuk, former Council Chair of Ibesikpo Asutan (Chairman PDP); Apostle Samuel Akpan, former Political and Legislative Adviser to Akpabio (Deputy Chairman) and Mr. Ibanga Akpabio, his relation who is the party secretary. Attah is said to have petitioned the national secretariat of the party in Abuja, seeking the correction of the anomaly. The party chair, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor, The Nation gathered, has conferred legitimacy on Attah’s candidate, Mr. Abasi-Ubong Iniobong while Prince Etuk is barred from representing the state during party meetings in Abuja. Political activities at the Ikot Ekpene Road, Uyo Secretariat of the party have been at the lowest ebb. The former PDP Chair, Alhaji Ahmadu Alli had on February 28, dispatched his wife, Mrs. M.N. Alli to Uyo to inaugurate the party executive, loyal to the Akwa Ibom State Government in a consensus arrangement which Mrs. Alli described as "carry go". In Attah’s camp, his loyalists are crying foul as the event of the last couple of weeks, appeared to have punctured the ego of the former governor. For instance, they pointed out that the politics of projects commissioning which Akpabio had embarked on since May 29, which marked his one year anniversary in office is aimed at removing Atttah’s imprints on the sands of time. Mr. Stephen Akpan, an apostle of Attah’s school of thought, said the action was a calculated attempt to pooh-pooh Attah’s achievements in the last eight years preceding May 29, 2007. He said: "Many of the projects bear Attah’s imprints, because he initiated it and he should be accorded that recognition as a statesman." Besides, Akpan who hails from Attah’s area in Ibesikpo Asutan expressed disgust at what he called systematic expulsion of Attah’s forces in the state executive council. He said the sacking of Mr. Essien Ubong Attah, younger brother to Attah as the Commissioner for Tourism was in bad faith. "Such action has political undertone", he said. Other Attah’s loyalists that were eliminated in the recent cabinet shake-up, Akpan said, include: Dr. Ebebe Ukpong who had served in Attah’s cabinet for eight years and was named in Akpabio’s cabinet as Commissioner for Education; Dr. Chris Ekong, former Sports Commissioner in Attah’s administration who became commissioner for Economic Planning in Akpabio’s cabinet. Just last week, a senior aide to Akpabio on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Udeme Nana, who Attah recommended for Akpabio was also asked to go. This has however raised fresh anxiety in the state, which prides itself as the most peaceful in the Niger-Delta region. Last week, Mr. Nicholas Andy, the Returning Officer in the last state congress of the PDP accused Attah of perpetrating crisis in the state PDP. Contrary to the petition by Attah’s camp to the national chair of PDP that the election of the party executive in the state did not follow due process, Andy said the process that brought Prince Etuk-led executive was in line with the provision of the party’s constitution. For the crisis not to degenerate into a full blown war, observers said there is need to douse the tension for the benefit of the people of the state.