Two candidates have expressed divergent opinions on the need or otherwise for zoning in Akwa Ibom south senatorial district as they seek to be elected into the red chamber of the National Assembly.
Ephraim Inyangeyen and Ekong Sampson of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) respectively who is both contesting the Akwa Ibom south senatorial elections have taken different positions with Inyangeyen maintaining that there should be no zoning while Sampson has said that zoning was sacrosanct. Inyangeyen who is from Eket federal constituency explained that PDP failed to uphold the principle of zoning when it chose to elect Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate when the incumbent president is also from the northern part of the country. To him, he said zoning was dead.
On the other hand, Sampson who is from the same senatorial district as Inyangeyen but from Ikot Abasi federal constituency said zoning was needed to ensure equity and fairness adding that the candidate who should be elected should have acquired vast legislative experience before making any foray to the senate.
In a statement signed by Sampson’s spokesperson, Essien Ndueso and made available to the media, it stated that Inyangeyen was party to the zoning arrangement in Akwa Ibom South adding that the ticket was specifically zoned to Ikot Abasi federal constituency which excludes Imyangeyen from the race.
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“What the YPP Senatorial candidate fails to understand is the fact that Akwa Ibom South (Eket)Senatorial District is bigger than a single individual.
“The PDP national leadership left the race for the presidential ticket open 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 and Eno won. The party also zoned the Senatorial Seat for Eket to Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency and Ekong Sampson won.
“Ephraim Inyang cannot deny that he was at the special meeting of stakeholders and leaders of the senatorial district earlier this year, where the unanimous decision of zoning the senatorial seat for 2023 goes 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, Pat Ifon, opted out of the race.
“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 level to connect the dots, and be the voice that would champion a cause that would be beneficial to the entire Eket Senatorial District and Akwa Ibom State as a whole.”
According to the statement, “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 Ekong Sampson, who has served meritoriously, receiving a pat on the back in all his duty posts.‘’
