A’Ibom rerun, Akpabio’s travail, an emerging dotted line

By Joseph Edgar . . .
As I wake to the news of the tribunal judgement asking for a rerun of the governorship elections in Akwa Ibom, I cannot help but wonder if there is a correlation between this verdict and the ongoing travails of the immediate past Governor of that state at the EFCC.
The tribunal has come out with a verdict that there were discrepancies in 18 local governments where about 500,000 people where disenfranchised in the last Local Government and as a result there has to be reruns.
This is serious bad news for the PDP in our state. The election was certainly very controversial and in some quarters it is believed that no election even held. So to most people, this verdict is a welcome relief and would go a long way to soothe frayed nerves.
But the question ruminating in my mind is if there is a correlation with the petition that has seen the strong man of Akwa Ibom politics being a regular guest at the EFCC and this impending rerun. Is it thrown to distract him seeing that he is hugely popular in Akwa Ibom in a bid to getting victory for the opposing party? Is that the plan? Is that why all of a sudden a petition has emerged and before that a major raid of the State House by the authorities?

Read also: Babatunde Fashola: May your loyalty not be tested

All these are giving me serious thoughts and may just stay in that realm for now as we watch events unfold in that state. You will agree with me that Akwa Ibom is one of the richest states in the country and plays a leadership role with Rivers state in that region.
So the APC will continue to be uncomfortable with the state in the opposing hands. It’s sphere of influence if properly handled can be used to generate a PDP reemergence. PDP if serious can use Akwa Ibom as a launch pad to gradually recover, with its oil wealth it would be dangerous to be left with Akpabio who has shown more effective leadership in the senate than the party leadership who seem to be playing to the gallery and are not yet used to the fact that they are now the opposition party. Hence the need to strangle and distract him.
As a student of Machiavelli, I am watching very closely as I am seeing his teachings in the unfolding events in my state even as I know that the PDP would not just be folding its hands and watch this wave sweep them off.
We are watching.

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now