At the Ikot-Ekpene constituency office of Senator Aloysius Etok, there is a banner with the screaming headline, “2015: There’s No Vacancy.” The banner, like many others like it that are daily springing up across the Ikot Ekpene senatorial district of Akwa-Ibom state, highlights the ongoing political tussle between Governor Godswill Akpabio of the state and Etok, the current senator representing the district at the National Assembly.
Feelers from political circles within the senatorial district in the last few days indicate that the erstwhile political allies are poised for a showdown ahead of 2015 senatorial election in the area.
Trouble started between the duo a couple of days back when Akpabio publicly declared his intention to represent the senatorial district at the National Assembly in 2015. The governor also allegedly named Etok as the campaign manager for his senatorial ambition.
Sources say the development did not go down well with the senator who was present at the event where Akpabio made his now controversial declaration. This is perhaps because Etok is also nursing the ambition to return to the senate in 2015 for a third term as senator representing the area.
“The senator is unhappy with the governor’s ambition and he is not hiding it. Besides, the senator considers the governor’s statement that he is the campaign manager as an insult to his person and office as a sitting senator.
“He is ready to fight for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket to return to the senate in 2015. He will not be intimidated by the governor and his associates, who are bent on running him out of the race ahead of 2015 so as to provide an easy access for Akpabio.
“That is why they are talking about recalling him. They are desperate but we have the support of the people. The people don’t want to be dictated to by godfathers. They want to be allowed to make their own choices, good or bad. That is our mainstay as Senator Etok prepares to take on the Governor,” an aide of the Senator told The Nation.
But it appears it is not all those involved in the politics of the area are opposed to Akpabio’s insistence on snatching the senate seat from his long-time friend and ally. To some, Etok’s refusal to surrender the seat is tantamount to betrayal and should be discouraged.
Within the senatorial district, Akpabio is believed to have played a prominent role in the election that saw Etok’s emergence as senator in 2007. In fact it is widely believed that his re-election was single handedly made possible by the governor, following an agreement between them that Etok will merely be holding the position in trust for Akpabio who will replace him in 2015.
The popular “Akpabio factor” in his 2011 victory is something the senator had acknowledged in many fora in the state.
The Akwa Ibom Diaspora Network (AIDN) is one organisation that is strongly opposed to Etok’s decision to fight Akpabio over the senatorial seat. The group said following its participation in the Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District stakeholders conference, held at Ikot Ekpene Council Hall, it is ready to commence a recall process against Senator Aloysius Etok if he fails to retract his statements (and allegations) made against leaders and elders of the Senatorial district and publicly apologise to Gov. Godswill Akpabio, on or before Wednesday, May 1, 2013.
The group, in a press release sent to media houses, said the conference was called mainly to discuss developing issues between Senator Aloysius Etok and Governor Godswill Akpabio.
“We are saddened by the unnecessary, embarrassing and distracting campaign of calumny currently engaged by Senator Aloysius Etok against Gov. Godswill Akpabio, CON. Even more virulent is Senator Etok’s recent allegation that a hit squad, organised by Gov. Godswill Akpabio, is planning for his assassination. We do not believe Senator Aloysius Etok, noting that his baseless and reckless allegations constitute an attempt to blackmail Gov. Godswill Akpabio and frustrate healthy competition for the Ikot Ekpene Senatorial seat.
Chief (Dr.) Godswill Akpabio has a constitutional right to aspire and contest for the Akwa Ibom North (Ikot Ekpene) Senatorial seat,” the group said in the release which was signed by Clement Ikpatt and Uduak Ukpeh as President and Secretary General respectively.
But Senator Etok appears undeterred by the positions of groups or individuals like AIDN and Ikpatt. Quoted severally as saying that the senatorial seat for Ikot Ekpene would not be vacant in 2015 as he intends to go for a third term, the senator accused Akpabio of disrespecting him.
“Akpabio must as a matter of fact respect my office if he does not respect me like I respect his office of the governor which also covers me. So respect is reciprocal. As for the governor seeking to go to the senate, I have told him that there is no vacancy in the senate.
“He can look elsewhere. If he needs a vacancy to be filled, let him look into the state execute council vacancy and fill; but in the senate no vacancy because the people I’m representing have not told me they have finished with me. They have not told me that I’m not going to the senate again.
“However, if the governor wants to go to the senate, I should be the first person he should consult because I’m the one holding the mandate even if I was a cripple and he wants my office and my chair. If he doesn’t talk with me, I will hold the chair and the chair will be broken. The governor must know that,” Etok reportedly said, signaling his readiness to dare the governor and his allies.
“While it is obvious that Etok’s recent activities are unsettling the governments, this is not enough for anybody to say he is an even match to the governor. It is left to be seen how he intend to make good his boasts,” Mark IniAbasi Essien, Secretary of the Coalition of Registered Political Parties (CRPN) in the state, said.
Already, chairmen of the ten local government councils in the senatorial district and state legislators in the district, while describing themselves as the custodians of the mandate of Ikot-Ekpene senatorial district, have disowned Etok while announcing the withdrawal of their support for the senator in 2015.
But Etok, who briefed newsmen recently in response to the council bosses, said he is not bothered by their open support for Akpabio in the struggle over the senatorial seat.
The senator said he has been receiving text messages he believes are from agents of the governor threatening him to withdraw his statement of intention to contest in 2015 or face dire consequences after seven days.
“I want the governor to tell Nigerians and the international community if there is anything wrong in any man aspiring to contest for an office. Is that enough for the governor to instruct the council chairmen to say that if I don’t withdraw from the contest, they will recall me?
“He asked the state’s house of assembly to pass resolution that they will recall me, to the extent that members of the house of assembly came on television to insult and malign me. Not only that, the governor has now loosened his hit squad, including what I have on this phone, some text messages that if I don’t retract the statement that I will contest election, after seven days, I will see what they will do,” Etok lamented.
No doubt, the battle line for the soul of Ikot-Ekpene senatorial district in 2015 is drawn between Senator Etok and Governor Akpabio. And it is only time and the voting public of the district that can tell who the victor will be.
