2023: Itu/Ibiono Ibom stakeholders clamour for gov seat

The stakeholders of Itu/Ibiono Ibom federal constituency have urged political parties in the state to pick candidates from its constituency.

This position was contained in a communique issued at the end of the meeting held on Feb. 4 at the Palace of the Paramount Ruler of Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area.

They unanimously called for the need to uphold the principle of rotation in order to ensure equity, justice, and good conscience in the state.

See full statement:

The stakeholders of Itu/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency met at the Palace of the Paramount Ruler of Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area on Friday, February 4, 2022, and after exhaustive deliberations on matters affecting the constituency resolved as follows:

1.    That the meeting, convened at the instance of the stakeholders of Itu/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency at the palace of the Paramount Ruler of Ibiono Ibom Ibom, was to review recent political developments in the state;
2.    That it was affirmed that Akwa Ibom State was founded on six (6) divisions of Abak, Eket, Ikot Ekpene, Itu, Opobo (Ikot Abasi), and Uyo, and that on account of political expediency, two of the divisions were merged to form a Senatorial District, namely, Abak and Ikot Ekpene in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District; Eket and Opobo (Ikot Abasi) in Eket Senatorial District; and Uyo and Itu in Uyo Senatorial District;
3.    That Uyo Senatorial District has three Federal Constituencies of Etinan, Itu and Uyo;
4.    That Akwa Ibom State started the rotation principle of gubernatorial office in 1992, with Etinan Federal Constituency that produced candidates for the two political parties, the National Republican Convention (NRC) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP). This arrangement produced His Excellency, Obong Akpan Isemin as the first civilian Governor of Akwa Ibom State. The rotation principle was sustained and in 1999, Obong Victor Attah of Uyo Federal Constituency in Uyo Senatorial District emerged as the Governor of the State;
5.    That with the position of Governorship returning to Uyo Senatorial District in 2023, the stakeholders demand that all political parties in Akwa Ibom State should pick their candidates from Itu/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency, which has never tasted the position before; and
6.    That the people of Itu/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency have resolved to unite to sensitize the people of Akwa Ibom State on the need to uphold the principle of rotation in order to ensure equity, justice, and good conscience.

Communique Drafting Committee

Dr. Nsima Edet – Chairman

Prof. Otoabasi Akpan – Member

Mr. Etorobong Inyang – Member

Barr. Bassey Ekerete – Secretary