The Special Assistant on Research and Documentation to Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Nduese Essien, has berated the Young Progressives Party candidate for Akwa Ibom South (Eket) Senatorial district, Mr Ephraim Inyangeyin over his comment on zoning in the state.
Inyangeyin is a former works commissioner in the state and was sacked as Chief of Staff to Governor Emmanuel, following a disagreement with the governor.
In a recent interview with journalists, Inyangeyin said the Peoples Democratic Party has no moral justification to talk about zoning, having zoned the Presidency to the North.
He said it was totally wrong for anyone to accuse him of breaking the zoning formula to contest for a senatorial ticket said to have been zoned to Ikot Abasi federal constituency.
He said, "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.”
He added, "PDP in Akwa Ibom has shot itself in the leg when it couldn't do zoning in Uyo. Etinan has had a shot at 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.”
Reacting to the comments in the statement titled "Eket Senatorial District; That Unfortunate Display of Ignorance by Ephraim Inyangeyin," a copy of which was made available to journalists on Tuesday evening, Essien said Eket Senatorial District is bigger than a single individual.
He said no politician can blackmail the entire district to dance to their tune.
The statement reads in part, "Following the successful conclusion of Senatorial rally in Eket senatorial district, a dismissed former Chief of Staff to the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Ephraim Inyangeyen attempted to cause a stir in a newspaper interview where he cried foul over an overwhelming decision by the people of Eket Senatorial District to zone the Senatorial seat to Ikot-Abasi Federal Constituency.
"In that interview he granted a national newspaper, 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 regard for 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 Barrister Ekong Sampson won, what is so difficult to understand?
"While Ephraim Inyangeyin cannot deny that he was at the special meeting of stakeholders and leaders of the senatorial district earlier this year, where the unanimous decision zoning the senatorial seat for 2023 goes to Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency was reached, he cannot also deny that his avid disposition to lawlessness and disregard to people’s sensitivity add another feather to his blossoming hat of arrogance.
"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 much disconnected from reality, Chief Ephraim Inyang has been.
"It is high time someone makes Ephraim understand that the business of making good laws and representing one’s people far outweighs rascality and bullying, which are intrinsic traits of dictators and non-democratic elements whose last assignments in public space ended in shameful disengagement.
"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 Hon. (Barr.) Ekong Sampson, who has served meritoriously, receiving a pat on the back in all his duty posts."