Planned Movement of PDP Guber Primaries to Army Barracks in A’Ibom Condemned

Okon Bassey

 Some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) delegates in Akwa Ibom state have raised the alarm over alleged  plan to relocate the party’s governorship primaries for May 21, 2022 to Army barracks, Ibagwa in Abak Local Government Area of the state.

In the past, either the Uyo township stadium or Godswill Akpabio International Stadium used to be the preferred venue for the party’s primaries.

However, checks reveal that the plot is at advanced stage with provision of adequate security as the reason for the planned relocation of the venue of the guber primaries to the military barracks which is over 30 kilometers away from the state capital.

Speaking with Journalists in Uyo after a crucial meeting yesterday, Mr. John Etefit one of the statutory delegates said the idea is for the state government tactic to impose their anointed aspirant on the party and to stampede the party into taking the primaries to Ibagwa Army barracks.

“After fruitless efforts to get most of us to support the aspiration of Pastor Umo Eno hit brickwall, subtle and open threats have been employed which we resisted and now the idea of taking the primaries to the barracks have birthed.

“We were told by core supporters of the government preferred aspirant that their final joker is the barracks where only their supporters will be allowed access and others supporting other aspirants turned back and if they insists on getting in, then soldiers will be directed to unleash mayhem on them,” he said.

Another statutory delegate, Mr. Asuquo Ekanem from Oruk Anam council area hinted that some top PDP state officials who are not buying into the Pastor Umo Eno project have quietly informed them that the state executive of the party are already tinkering with the idea of Ibagwa barracks venue to please the government.

“Democracy is fully under threat in Akwa Ibom state, the state government in sheer readiness to impose their preferred aspirant is leaving no stone unturned in enthroning dictatorship, they are no longer appealing or lobbying us to accept their aspirant but asking us to wait and see if we will even have access to the venue, we were informed that we will hear our names mentioned but accreditation tags will be given to their men on ground and there is nothing we will do about it,” he added.

Other delegates, who spoke appealed to well-meaning Nigerian, human rights groups, international community and other related bodies to turn their searchlight to Akwa Ibom State as the primaries may set the once peaceful state on fire and unprecedented carnage.

“Any venue outside the Uyo township stadium is not acceptable to us”, Mr Aniefiok Ekefre one of the delegates from Uyo told journalists.

“It must be one man one vote at the primaries, let the popular and acceptable aspirant emerge. They told us that their preferred aspirant is the God’s choice for Akwa ibom people, why arm-twisting the same people to embrace God’s choice?

“Akwa Ibom people are now wiser and ready to change the narratives, there will be no third term by surrogate and we are not leaving the party for opportunistsm,”he added.

The concerned delegates vowed to embark on mass protest and petition the national secretariat of the party should the planned relocation of the governorship primaries to the barracks considered by the state chapter of the party work out.

“The essence of the relocation is to rig the primaries with ease after chasing away those they considered opposition to their project with soldiers but we won’t allow that to happen, we are ready to protect the future of our children and the coming generation with our blood, a few people cannot dictate to over seven million Akwa Ibom people” Mrs. Maria Ekpe from Ika local government area, said.

When contacted on the matter, the state Publicity Secretary of the party Mr. Borono Bassey, told Journalists that the matter is still at the realms of speculation. “It’s purely speculations by outsiders at this moment.”

He also promised to expand the state’s internally generated revenue by identifying other sources of revenue, saying that “our target is to improve IGR by 1000 per cent in four years.”