UDOM VS AKPABIO WAR BEGINS

Akwa Ibom State 2015 Elections
UDOM VS AKPABIO WAR BEGINS
...I was forced to name the stadium after Akpabio -
Udom
...Appoint Emem Akpabio SSG or risk
impeachment- Akpabio tells Udom
...I'm the Governor, not you - Udom fumes
...As Prince clash with former Governor over
Senate nomination form error
With less than 24 hours after losing immunity and
executive powers as Governor of Akwa Ibom state,
the political marriage between the former Chairman
of PDP Governors Forum and his protege and
successor, Governor Udom Emmanuel seems to be
over with the Governor insisting that he was forced
to name the Akwa Ibom International Stadium,
formerly known as "Nest of Champions" after the
immediate past Governor, Godswill Akpabio. This
is coming against the backdrop of condemnation
that has greeted the change of name which has
further fuelled public perception that the new
Governor will always be a rubber stamp of his
predecessor.
It could be recalled that the excitement of the
swearing in of the new Governor was last Friday
punctured when Emmanuel announced shortly after
his inauguration that the stadium previously
named "Nest of Champions" is now to be called
Godswill Obot Akpabio International Stadium. Not
even a second announcement by the Governor
could alter the mood of silence, disappointment
and disgust that the crowd exhibited who generally
turned a deaf ear to the policy summersault, a
pronouncement considered by many as a big error
and wrong starting point of Governor Emmanuel.
The over two hours speech by Akpabio was also
considered insulting and an abuse of power on a
day his tenure had since ended. To mollify the
anger of some close political associates who were
visibly angry with the new Governor for playing to
the gallery and trying to be seen as a loyal godson
even on his swearing in day, Emmanuel confessed
that he was forced to make the pronouncement
against his wish by Akpabio and his wife.
Udom according to a source privy to the
discussion who pleaded anonymity was alleged to
have said that he is only a Governor in name but a
prisoner of power and held captive by forces he
was supposed to control as Governor owing to
some agreements he was forced to sign under
duress by the former Governor and his family.
The Governor the source said explained that
already, a major crisis is brewing between him and
his predecessor over the choice of nominee for the
position of Secretary to the State Governor (SSG).
While Akpabio is insisting on Sir Emem Akpabio for
the position of SSG, the Governor is considering
the immediate past Commissioner for Finance and
until last week, Engr Larry Esin was considered too
as a way of appeasing the Oro nation to calm the
cry of marginalization.
To Akpabio, it is either Emem Akpabio or nobody.
The former Governor investigation reveals has
already oiled his loyalists in the about to be
inaugurated House of Assembly to first block all
nominees needing legislative approval from the
Governor until his candidate for SSG is announced
and to also start the process of impeachment
should the Governor fails to keep to his own term
of the bargain they duo allegedly entered into
before the election. The appointment of SSG is
solely the prerogative of the Governor and does not
need any approval from the legislature. But
Akpabio was told by a prominent cleric that
thinking of impeaching Governor Emmanuel will
not fly at this point in time. What allegation will
you level against him in less than a week of
assuming office as Governor? The cleric reportedly
asked a visibly angry and depressed Akpabio who
could not provide an answer.
The Governor was alleged to have stood his
grounds that appointing Emem Akpabio as SSG
would be seen as insulting the sensibility of the
people who look forward to a new administration
that the Akpabios will play a less visible role. But
his predecessor sees the appointment of his
cousin as SSG as an insurance against being
sidelined, relegated out of political relevance or
probed.
Unconfirmed rumour has it that appointing Emem
Akpabio was part of a pre-election accord between
Akpabio and Udom which the later cannot deny or
refuse implementation. The crisis has called into
question the many other secret deals the duo
might have entered into which might be mutually
beneficial to Akpabio and Udom but detrimental to
the Akwa Ibom people who expect much from the
present regime even as there are fears with
sufficient foundation to believe that the Udom
government will not last due to the ongoing case
at the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in
which Umana Umana of the All Progressives
Congress (APC), is challenging the validity of the
election that threw up Udom as Governor. The
general consensus is that in less than six months,
the state will witness another election as would be
most likely ordered by the tribunal.
In a related development, former Governor Godswill
Akpabio is taking it out on his cousin and former
aide, Prince Ukpong Akpabio over the ongoing
tribunal case at the National Assembly Petition
Tribunal in Uyo in which the APC Senatorial
candidate for Akwa Ibom North West, Chief Inibehe
Okori is challenging not just the validity of the over
450,000 votes allegedly scored by Akpabio but
also the fact that the former Governor was never a
candidate for the election having been presented
by his party as a candidate for Uyo Senatorial
district (Akwa Ibom North East).
Akpabio's anger with Prince, investigation reveals
is that Prince was the one who did all the filing of
the former Governor's form as well as submission
to the party and then INEC. Akpabio was alleged to
have lambasted Prince shortly on arrival at his
ancestral hometown of Ukana after the handing
over ceremony on May 29, accusing him of not
being able to correctly fill a simple nomination
form which has turned out to become his greatest
problem in the ongoing court case against him.
Efforts by Prince to apologise for the error which is
about costing the former Governor his Senatorial
seat was even greeted with more severe rebuke.
To calm tension, security agents attached to the
former Governor had to advice Prince to leave and
come back when tempers must have calmed to
avoid an escalation of the crisis. Some close aides
of Akpabio confided in our reporter that his anger
with Prince is one of the many frustration of
Akpabio who is unable to come to terms with the
reality that his eight years rule has ended and his
prospect of proceeding to the Senate seems
remote.
Culled from.......... the surveillance paper