Battle of the Throne Between Akanimo and Eno as the Duo Fight for the Heart of the Oil-Rich State

Highlife

Things are getting heated up in Akwa Ibom as a result of the multiplicity of expectations. There is a group of individuals in the state who want to have a particular pastor and former Commissioner for Lands and Water Resources, Umo Eno, as the gubernatorial successor to Governor Udom Emmanuel. But there is another group that would rather have an established businessman and reputed moneybag, Akanimo Udofia, as the next  Akwa Ibom governor. The battle line has been drawn, so we are all watching to see which side wins.

Gubernatorial candidates could number in the hundreds in Akwa Ibom, but there are only two individuals who seem to be competing against each other for the position: Eno and Udofia. The former is the hope that has been presented by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while the latter is the beacon of light that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has guaranteed to polish the state after Governor Emmanuel.

Despite the tough competition between the two political parties, the most interesting and attention-worthy elements are the men themselves. Who are they and what are their intentions for the oil-rich state?

Eno is well-known because he used to be the Commissioner for Lands and Water Resources. He is well-educated with a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Uyo. And even though he is the Pastor of All Nations Christian Ministry International in Akwa Ibom, he has led a robust corporate career starting with banking in the early ‘80s and settling into the hospitality sector along the line.

 Udofia, on the other hand, is a businessman through and through. He also is well-educated with a Master’s degree from Harvard School of Business, Boston Massachusetts, USA. He is an oil man, having held multiple positions on the boards of oil companies, and has never really worked as a civil servant. Nevertheless, a lot of Akwa Ibom natives and residents are optimistic about him.

So, the battle for popularity and preference among the Akwa Ibom people rages on. Will it be Eno, Governor Emmanuel’s preferred candidate, or Udofia, former Governor Godswill Akpabio’s preferred candidate? Time will tell.