Youths of Itu/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency, Akwa Ibom State have wondered why critical stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have remained mute over Governor Udom Emmanuel’s breach of accord on micro zoning of governorship seat in the State.
Recall that Governor Emmanuel had on January 30, 2022, announced Umo Eno, an aspirant from Etinan Federal constituency of Uyo Senatorial district as his preferred successor, a development the youths saw as an aberration to an unwritten accord that the governorship seat should be zoned to Itu/Ibiono Federal constituency.
The youths further recalled that the Uyo Senatorial district reached an agreement in 1999, which led to the emergence of Obong Victor Attah as a consensus candidate of the party, and Itu/Ibiono Federal Constituency were shown reasons to wait for the next turn, which according to them is, now.
The youths, addressing a press conference at the NUJ press centre, Uyo, on Tuesday, noted that from the circumstances and events unfolding ahead of the 2023 election year, the accord is about to be breached by Governor Emmanuel.
The leader of the group, Barr. Etim Bassey queried why the stakeholders are silent over the pressing issue, asking whether it was out of fear.
According to him, “It was agreed at the town hall meeting organized by the party stakeholders at the Kenedy Ekong Hall, Itu Local Government Council, that when the governorship returns to Uyo senatorial district, that it shall be the turn of Itu/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency in the spirit of justice, equity and fair play.
”Unfortunately, the Governor’s preferred aspirant is not from Itu/Ibiono Ibom Federal Constituency. Most unfortunate too, is the fact that most critical stakeholders were not invited to witness the said presentation or allowed to give their opinion.
”More worrisome, disturbing and very disheartening is the fact that the ‘disease of silence’ tends to envelope most of our critical stakeholders. Whether such disease of ‘silence is out of fear’, sheer indifference or for the good of the people, no man can tell.
”We are greatly dissatisfied by this undemocratic action which is a clear breach of an obvious unwritten accord of relevant stakeholders, as it were, on the zoning of the governorship position in Uyo senatorial district.”
The youths while noting that the governor was a product of zoning, stressed that the question of micro-zoning as challenged by a very few politicians, “is simply a public display of greed, perpetration of injustice and move to plant a seed of discord and enmity in Akwa Ibom.”
The youths also tasked the State chairman of the PDP, Rt. Hon Aniekan Bassey on the maintenance of a high level of neutrality and fairness in the forth-coming primaries.
