November 03, (THEWILL) – The issue of zoning as it concerns Akwa Ibom South (Eket) Senatorial District, has been on the front burner of political discussion in recent times, even as two popular candidates for the Red Chambers of the National Assembly in the district represent entirely different views on political office zoning.
The candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Akparawa Ephraim Inyageyen, in a recent interaction with journalists in Uyo said that his entrance into the race for the Senatorial seat is not against any zoning formula in the district.
Inyangeyen reasoned that his decision to contest the senatorial seat assumed to have been zoned to Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency is not out of order.
The YPP senatorial candidate, who is a former Commissioner for Works in the state, argued that there has never been a proper zoning arrangement in Eket senatorial district.
“When they do zoning, some people are excluded. In 1999, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma contested against Mr. Joe Mark from Eket. Udo Udoma defeated Joe Mark. In 2003 when Udo Udoma came back, Mrs. Ufot Ekaette, a lady from Eket married to an Onna man contested against him.
“The question to ask is if Udo Udoma had defeated Ufot at the primaries of the PDP, would they have taken it from him to give to Ufot? The answer is no. So there was no zoning.
“When in 2007, Ufot returned to contest, Mma Esuene contested, Nduese Essien contested, Nelson Effiong contested from Oron, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, the present SSG, contested, Esio Oqungudo contested. My question again is; if there was zoning, would anybody from Oron have contested? The answer again is no. So there was no zoning”. He mattered.
According to him, what was in place was a rotation policy, “whoever takes it, when you finish, it will go to the next federal constituency of the District”
He explained that it was only after Ikot Abasi and Eket Federal Constituencies had finished their two-term senatorial slots each, that the slot naturally went to Oron Federal Constituency; hence, nobody contested against them from the other two federal constituencies.
He noted that since Udoma Udo Udoma left the senate, Eket senatorial district never had a good representation in the red chamber, hence, his aspiration to speak for the senatorial district
Inyang-Eyen, however, questioned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), moral justification to talk about the zoning of political offices when its presidential candidate is a northerner.
“Let me emphatically say that PDP has shot itself in the leg when it couldn’t do zoning in Uyo. Etinan has had a shot in the governorship. Uyo has had their turn. So if they were talking about equity, the governorship in PDP should have been zoned to Itu/Ibiono federal constituency. And if they failed in doing that they should shut up and not talk about zoning.
“PDP should be silent over zoning. When the presidency of Nigeria, agreed by all the 17 southern governors was supposed to come to the south, PDP couldn’t, at the highest level where they are supposed to show example, allow that presidency to come to the south.
“The north takes it back and now they are talking about zoning the senatorial ticket. What are you micro-zoning when you couldn’t zone the presidency that has all the powers to change things?
“Today, Governor Nyesom Wike said that the south has been cheated and people are insulting him. I stand totally in support of what Wike is doing in PDP.
“He is speaking the truth. The PDP cannot be talking about equity. You keep the chairman of the party; you keep the presidential candidate that had been agreed that should come to the south. There is an error in zoning in PDP; they shouldn’t talk about it.” Inyang-Eyen stressed.
In a swift reaction to Inyang-Eyen’s argument, the Special Assistant to Governor Udom Emmanuel on Research and Documentations and the Head, Media & Publicity, EkongSampson Campaign Organisation, Mr. Ndueso Essien, said that the statements from Mr. Inyang-Eyen, who was sacked as the Chief of Staff to the present Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuelt, was an attempt to cause a stir in newspapers.
Essien said it was an overwhelming decision by the people of Eket Senatorial District to zone the Senatorial seat to Ikot-Abasi Federal Constituency.
“In that interview, he alleged that there has never been anything like zoning in Eket Senatorial District simply because his Man, Senator Bassey Albert did not win the gubernatorial ticket of PDP.
“He also alleged that zoning is dead in Eket Senatorial District because the Presidential ticket was won by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. What manner of haughtiness.
“What the YPP Senatorial candidate fails to understand is the fact that Akwa Ibom South (Eket) Senatorial District is bigger than a single individual and not even an arrogant or loquacious politician with zero regards to the elders and traditional institution in the district, can blackmail the entire district to dance to his dictate.
“The PDP national leadership left the race for the presidential ticket opened to all because of the peculiarities in the country and Atiku Abubakar emerged. The party zoned the governorship seat in Akwa Ibom to Uyo senatorial district, Pastor Umo Eno won. The party also zoned the Senatorial Seat for Eket to Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency and Barr Ekong Sampson won, what is so difficult to understand?
“While Akparawa Ephraim Inyang cannot deny that he was at the special meeting of stakeholders and leaders of the senatorial district early this year, where the unanimous decision, zoning the senatorial seat for 2023 to Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency was reached.
“Once that decision on zoning was reached, every politician from other federal constituencies in the senatorial district, including the serving member of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Pat Ifon, opted to back out of the race. No reasonable person defies the collective decisions of his people”. Essien explained.
Talking strongly, the governor’s aid said that apart from exposing his ignorance as a newcomer in the politics of Eket Senatorial District, the scruffy unwarranted outburst against the previous senators in the senatorial district shows how disconnected from reality Inyang-Eyen has been.
“Nobody in his right frame of mind can challenge the noble efforts of former First Lady, Her Excellency Senator Helen Esuene and the incumbent Senator Akon Eyakenyi who have both performed so creditably well in human capacity development and social welfare schemes in the district.
“Eket Senatorial District has spoken clearly that it needs a highly cerebral and well lettered representative in the red chambers, Eket Senatorial District needs a representative with a calm disposition to speak for, and listen to the people of the district. Eket Senatorial District needs a man who has been found worthy in the legislature at both the grassroots and State levels to connect the dots and be the voice that would champion a cause that can be beneficial to the entire Eket Senatorial District and Akwa Ibom State as a whole.
“The people have spoken, and that decision stands. It is now the turn of Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency to produce the next Senator for Eket Senatorial District, and that person is Rt. Hon. (Barr.)Ekong Sampson, who has served meritoriously in previous offices”. Essien stressed.
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