• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Crisis rocks APC in Akwa Ibom as three factions hold sway

APC

There are strong indications that the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State may have been split into three factions with each group commanding the support of a sizeable number of supporters and loyalists.

It was gathered that the factionsalisation became evident as a result of distrust and bad blood which followed the party’s below-expectation performance in the last general election in which it won only one seat in the 26-member state House of Assembly.

The party, which also lost the governorship election to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), also lost all the three senatorial seats as well as the 10 seats in the House of Representatives.

However, all hope is not lost as the result of the Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District election is still in contention between the candidates of the APC, Godswill Akpabio and Christopher Ekpeyong of the PDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed a date for a rerun of the senatorial election in the district.

Akpabio, who is the minister of Niger Delta Affairs, has announced his withdrawal from the election which is scheduled to hold on January 25. According to the former governor, he decided against contesting the rerun election in order to focus on the responsibility of his office as the minister of the Niger Affairs.

Further checks reveal that APC members are “disillusioned and distraught” after their defeat in the elections. They blame some members for the poor showing of the party and they claim that some members were clandestinely working for the PDP during the last elections.

It was gathered that a faction of the party is led by John James Udoedehe, a former senator and one time minister of the federal capital territory, another faction is headed by Nsima Ekere, the party’s governorship candidate in the last election while the third faction is said to be led by Umana Okon Umana, managing director of oil and gas free trade zone authority.

The director general of Akpabio’s senatorial campaign organisation, Chris Akpan is said to have confirmed the existing of the factions in an interview he granted to a reporter, adding however, that whatever the grievances of the factional leaders, “they cannot do without the support and endorsement of the immediate past governor of the state for the party to succeed in 2023.”

But reacting to the interview, Nkereuwem Enyongekere, publicity of the party, denied the existence of factions, saying the report was at variance with the true picture of the state chapter of the party.

“Those mentioned as leaders of factions in the report are very distinguished, loyal and committed members of the party who are using their personal resources to keep the party afloat with strong bond of unity under the able leadership of Iniobong Titus Okopido, the current chairman of APC in the state.

“There is absolutely no crack in the fold of the APC and the minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio is a strong part of the brick wall of this existing unity and as an outstanding beneficiary from such a great united APC family without any rage at the time of his appointment depicts clearly and openly the peaceful nature of the state chapter and the entire party structure in Akwa Ibom State,’’ he said.

Another party member, Imo Akpan has however, blamed the alleged factionalisation of the party on the “failure of leadership” in not being able to galvanise all members to attain a “united whole” for the party.

Akpan, who spoke on a radio programme in Uyo, the state capital said everything should be done to preserve the unity of the party.

“I think in the days and weeks ahead, we should find a common ground where our party leaders should meet and then take a stand that is agreeable to everybody.  We cannot divide and rule the APC in Akwa Ibom State. We don’t want to see a situation where these our noon day progressives come and hijack the party. We must do everything to ensure the party is preserved.

“We don’t want to see a situation where the party is Balkanised for anyone’s selfish interest, just like people are talking about the fractionalisation of the party so that no one man runs away with the party,” he said.

ANIEFIOK UDONQUAK, Uyo