Arising from an enlarged stakeholders meeting of Ikpe Annang people held on 14th February, 2022 at Ikpe Annang Civic Centre, Ikpe Annang, Essien Udin L.G.A, we the undersigned, for and on behalf of the various villages, units and strata and representing members of the PDP, wish to State as follows:
- That we commend the PDP led government in the state and in particular our Governor, His Excellency, Mr. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, for the giant strides which his administration has recorded in various aspect of development in the state.
- We are grateful to His Excellency, for his support for our father while he was ill and for personally attending the burial ceremony of our revered Traditional Ruler, the late Itai Afe Annang and the Clan Head of Ikpe Annang on the 5th January, 2022.
- We also wish to express our profound gratitude to the people of Essien Udim, particularly, the Caucus of the PDP for the support in ensuring that for the first time after 36 years (1979 in particular) someone from Ikpe Annang Ward namely Hon. (Barr.) Esse Umoh, who was elected to represent Essien Udim in the State House of Assembly.
- That this gesture was perhaps in recognition of the fact that Ikpe Annang people have been giving total support to PDP by voting massively for the party’s candidates during general and local government elections since the inception of PDP in 1998 and perhaps also in recognition of the fact that there was a time honoured zoning arrangement in which Ikpe Annang ought to have benefited in the house of Assembly seat since 2015, but was denied due to circumstances that are already in the public knowledge.
- That we have observed with dismay attempts by individuals to subvert this time honoured arrangement through deliberate misrepresentation of facts and the willful introduction of confusion and perverseness. As a people, we are worried how certain individuals have decided to throw caution to the winds and embark on venture that is capable of sowing seeds of discord amongst a hitherto peaceful polity
- That until very recently, Essien Udim used to be very peaceful and was known for her harmonious organization of political representations. In fact, the arrangement was so good that our neighboring local government areas copied and today, they are relatively stable. It was almost certain which ward (clan) would produce what. Suddenly, confusion was introduced. Power and money became instruments of blackmail. A ward (or clan) which neither has money or power is oppressed, harassed and coerced.
- That the massive defections that shook our party PDP, in Essien Udim to its foundations, which characterized the build up to the 2019 general elections is still fresh in our memory. Key office holders from the party resigned from offices. Major stakeholders abandoned the party and defected to the APC. By this time, to aspire for an office in the PDP in Essien Udim appeared a very uncertain adventure. We in Ikpe Ward believed in the PDP, we dared to try, but not without casualties. It should be placed on record that Utibe Uko Akpan, one of the party executive members in Ikpe Annang died from injuries sustained during a fracas in that election. Even the chapter chairman, Hon. Cyril Peter Udoh (who hails from Ikpe Annang) was beaten to pulp and abandoned lifeless before being taken to the hospital by the then PDP candidate, Hon. Barr. Esse Gerald Umoh. Thank God he survived it. Hon. (Barr) Esse Gerald Umoh, the flag bearer of the party, was not allowed to take office after he had won that election, following protracted litigation from enemies of PDP. When eventually Hon. (Barr.) Esse Umoh was allowed to take office on the 11th February, 2020, one full year was gone and by implication, by May 2023, Hon. Esse Umoh shall have done three years in the office. Should he be barred from doing a second term, it would be the very definition of injustice.
- That Ikpe Annang is worried with the contradictory and confusing submission of Essien Annang Forum in their recently published communique (dated 5th January 2022). Paragraph three of that communique is reproduced below:
“3. That from 1999 when PDP started ruling Nigeria and Akwa Ibom State, the following Elective positions of Chairmanship and House of Assembly had been alternating between Udim and Essien Annang on a single tenure as follows:-
Year
Position
Zone (Ward)
Name of Person
i. 1999 – 2003;
Chairmanship Position
Udim (Ukana East)
Hon. Martins Umanah
House of Assembly Position
Essien Annang (Afaha)
Hon. Ndifreke Idung
ii. 2003 – 2007
Chairmanship Position
Essien Annang (Odoro Ikot)
Hon. Okon Peter Ebere
House of Assembly Position
Udim (Adiasim)
Hon. Etido Ibekwe
However, when H.E Governor Godswill Akpabio, an indigene of Essien Udim became PDP Governor of Akwa Ibom State, he introduced in the L.G.A for each Zone to hold the position for 2 terms as follows:-
iii. 2007 – 2011
Chairmanship Position
Udim (Ukana West II)
Hon. Nse Effiong Ntuen
House of Assembly Position
Essien Annang (Odoro Ikot)
Hon. Emmanuel S. Akpan
iv. 2011 – 2015
Chairmanship Position
Udim (Ukana West II)
Rt. Hon. Nse Effiong Ntuen
House of Assembly Position
Essien Annang (Odoro Ikot)
Hon. Emmanuel S. Akpan
v. 2015 – 2019
House of Assembly Position
Udim (Ukana West II)
Rt. Hon. Nse Effiong Ntuen
vi. 2017 – 2020
Chairmanship Position
Essien Annang (Ekpenyong Atai)
Hon. Raphael Isobara”
Where is Ikpe Annang in all these? From this, one can see that Ikpe Annang clan with 14 large villages and such a voting population of over 12,000 has neither produced a chairman of council nor a House Member since 1999. It is fair to say that Ikpe Annang is the most marginalized clan in the entire Essien Udim L.G.A. What an Injustice! Moreover, why did the former Governor His Excellency, Godswill Akpabio introduce two terms (according to Essien Annang Forum)? The whole idea was to achieve ranking, as only a ranking member can hold strategic positions in the House. When Hon. Nse Ntuen abandoned the party and opted to go back to the House through another party, if he had succeeded, of what benefit would that be to the PDP? Howbeit, Hon. Nse Ntuen did not go back and did not achieve ranking status. Now if Hon. (Barr) Esse Umoh is denied a second term, he will not achieve ranking, will this be in the interest of Essien Udim? No Sirs! For now, Essien Udim does not have any other ranking member in the legislature apart from Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Akpan from Odoro Ikot (Essien Annang Zone). Let Hon. (Barr) Esse Umoh, from Ikpe Annang (Udim Zone) also achieve ranking status, for the good of the entire Essien Udim people.
- That in paragraph four, of the same Essien Annang Forum’s communique, they averred that Hon. (Barr.) Esse Umoh was elected to complete the 8 years tenure of Hon. Nse Ntuen. This is not true. Imagine! Ikpe Annang was only allowed for the first time (since 1999) to go to the House of Assembly just to complete someone else’s tenure? Someone who is not even from Ikpe Annang? Incredible! This position is not different from the position of caucus in paragraph three of their communique dated 12th February, 2022, wherein they posited “that currently Udim has occupied House of Assembly Position since 2015 and their two development area terms of 8 years expires in 2023…”. This is akin to changing the goal post in the middle of the game. Hon. Nse Ntuen comes from Ukana West II. He had defected to the APC and therefore could not continue any tenure in the PDP. If there was need for someone to complete the second term for Hon. Nse Ntuen this could have been discussed in the caucus, and the person would have come from Ukana West II the same ward as Hon. Nse Ntuen. (The case of Hon. Sunyiekere Inokon quickly comes to mind where he was nominated to replace Late Barr Nsini Umoso in the National Assembly). The argument that Obong Barr. Esse Umoh, was to complete Hon. Nse Ntuen’s second tenure is therefore a lie. It never emanated from a consensus of PDP caucus in Essien Udim or any agreement that we know of. For us in Ikpe Annang, it is an orchestrated attempt to misrepresent fact and deny Hon. Esse Umoh and by extension Ikpe Annang a second term mandate. Hon. Barr. Esse Umoh was sworn in on 11th February, 2020 and by May 2023, he shall have done three years in office. If other clans had opportunity to do two terms in office, as was the case with Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Akpan from Odoro Ikot, it will only be reasonable that someone from Ikpe Annang clan be allowed to do two terms.
- That, Ikpe Annang is highly marginalized in elective positions especially in the House of Assembly cannot be contested. From 1979, when Late Hon. Dominic S. Ekanem represented Ikot Ekpene in the then Cross River State House of Assembly, nobody in Ikpe Annang has been given any other opportunity. In the advent of democratic rule in 1999, almost all the clans that make up Udim zone had opportunity except Ikpe Annang Clan. With the prevailing circumstances, where Hon. Barr. Esse Umoh is not even allowed the pleasure of a complete four year tenure, it will only be reasonable, fair and just to allow him a second term. What is good for the goose is also good for the gander. Attempting to see his tenure as the completion of the last four years of Rt. Hon. Nse Ntuen for the eight years of Udim zone is the height of injustice and insensitivity to the feelings of Ikpe Annang people.
- That we therefore call on the caucus/stakeholders of PDP in Essien Udim, as they have been doing before to rise to the occasion and ensure that the political landscape of Essien Udim is not unnecessarily tensed up by supporting Hon. Barr. Esse Umoh, and by extension Ikpe Annang for a second term in the House of Assembly. Moreover, it is important for the PDP not to give the opposition any opportunity to break our continuous winning streak of political positions in Essien Udim. We call on distinguished sons and daughters of Essien Udim to help resist any funny descent to chaos and unreasonableness by people who are afraid of what life outside government looks like.
- Finally, we reaffirm our unalloyed loyalty and unwavering support to the completion agenda of His Excellency, Mr. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel and his succession plan. We therefore pledge our total support to our amiable and chosen one, Pastor Umo Eno, as our preferred candidate in the 2023 gubernatorial race.
Long Live Ikpe Annang Clan (Ward)
Long Live Essien Udim Local Government Area
Long Live the Peoples Democratic Party
Long Live Akwa Ibom State
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