It was a shocking event as the immediate past governor of Akwa Ibom and one of the founding members of the Peoples Democratic Party, Victor Attah openly launched a public attack on his successor, Governor Godswill Akpabio during a campaign for the All Progressives Congress.
Premium Times reports that for the first time since the ex-governor left office in 2007, he Saturday, publicly attacked Mr. Akpabio, describing the latter’s senatorial aspiration as not only hypocritical, but deceitful. The ex governor, who is a founding member of Nigeria’s ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and is a member of the party’s Board of Trustees, spoke at a rally of the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, in Uyo, the state capital.
Though he said he remained a member of the PDP, Mr. Attah said he had to campaign for the APC due to “compelling circumstances” to lead Akwa Ibom residents to make and implement a succession plan in the 2015 elections in the interest of the state. Justifying his actions and words, Mr. Attah reiterated President Goodluck Jonathan’s statement during Akpabio’s campaign rally in Akure, Ondo State, on January 28, saying that because politics is about people, he cannot be a leader if he fails to do what his people want.
He also said the overwhelming wish of Akwa Ibom residents in the April election was to support a governorship candidate of their choice and not one imposed on them.
“I am a leader of my people. My people do not want anyone to be imposed on them as governor. They want Umanah Okon Umanah as their governor,” Mr. Attah stated.
Surprisingly, Mr. Umanah, who served as a commissioner in the administrations of both Messrs. Attah and Akpabio, is the governorship candidate of the APC. He was said to have joined APC after he had a fallout with Akpabio. His main challenger is Udom Emmanuel of the PDP who is proudly supported by the outgoing Mr. Akpabio.
Defending his decision to support the opposition candidate, Mr. Attah said, “As a prime advocate of power shift (zoning) among the major component tribes of the state, I always believed it was logical to assume that after Uyo and Ikot Ekpene senatorial districts produced the governor, it should be the turn of Eket.
“But, the present posturing of those now parading themselves as champions of zoning is not only hypocritical, but deceitful,” he said in apparent reference to Mr. Akpabio who has made reference to the zoning as one of his reasons for anointing Mr. Emmanuel.
Mr. Attah also pointed out the example of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, who he said not only withdrew his support for a governorship candidate, but also abandoned his senatorial ambition in 2015 in the interest of justice, equity and fair play, in order to save the PDP in Delta from crisis.
“In Akwa Ibom, everybody knows that it is the turn of Abak Federal Constituency to produce the next senator. So, why is His Excellency, Governor Godswill Obot Akpabio insisting on contesting that position, if at all he believes in zoning?” Mr. Attah asked rhetorically.
Criticizing his successor’s ambition as “very provoking and totally unacceptable”, the former governor urged all indigenes of Ikot Ekpene senatorial district to team up with the people of Abak and support the APC senatorial candidate against Mr. Akpabio.
On the governorship election, Mr. Attah said political leaders in the state had resolved to resist any form of imposition after they failed to get a level playing field that would allow the people’s collective will to prevail.
According to the former governor, Mr. Emmanuel, the PDP candidate, was not nominated by the PDP but by Mr. Akpabio.
“The governor told us that in fact it was the wife, the so-called ‘Mother Theresa’ of Akwa Ibom State that discovered and sponsored Udom Emmanuel. And he, ‘The Imperial Majesty’, is determined to impose him on us as puppeteer on the throne,” he told the crowd.
“A surrogate of Godswill Akpabio must not be allowed to govern us” the former governor said. “Akwa Ibom, listen to what I say, Umanah Okon Umanah is the man.
