EMMANUEL UKO’S DEFECTION: …INFANTILE PROPAGANDA TAKEN TOO FAR

BY TOROBONG EKPO

One of the deadly mistakes political parties does, while admitting new members, is that they only ask for the membership card of the decampee’s previous political party, without enquiring for his/her voters card. Sometimes, they don’t even care about membership card of the political party, all what they do is to showcase pictures of defectors on the internet. Such blunder is deadly, as it gives fake hope to the political parties and candidates.

During 2011 election, it was announced that, 1.5 Million people have defected from Peoples’ Democratic Party, to ACN in Ibesikpo. The John James Udoedehe supporters were so exited until I ventured into their midst and whispered, “Please is Ibesikpo voting strength up to 1.5 million?” That questioned cured their ignorance and immediately, one of them responded, “Sir, na true you talk, these boys just come collect Tinubu money chop, dem no get voters card”. I rebuked him, and cautioned him, never to mention the Leader of ACN in our discussion.

The wrong use of propaganda machine can mar even the political ambition of a politician. In Nigeria, propaganda is as old as colonialism. It was a tool used in fighting the shackles of Colonial masters, remnant of propagandas were seen on the pages of Newspapers, Poems, myth, folktale, folklore et al. Our forebears, the Asikiwes, Soyinkas, Awolowos, Clarks, Achebes made proper use of propaganda and such resulted in the independency of our dear country.

However, these days, the tool is used without consideration. I wouldn’t like to discuss issues relating to two biological brothers- Mr. Emmanuel Uko and the immediate past Speaker of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Aniekan Uko, simply because family matters are best discussed at home. When I noticed that, the latter is a younger brother to the former, I see why some Ibibio adage should not be taken for granted. For instance, the Ibibio adage which says, “Ke owo ase ato eto, ado eto adi oyoung akan owo”. Meaning, “It is human who plant trees, but the tree ends up growing taller than human who planted it”.

That saying summarizes the relationship between the two brothers. It means that Emmanuel came into the world before Aniekan, but fate made the latter to be greater in wealth, status etcetera more than the former. The question now is, would you like your younger brother to be greater than you in the society rating? Or would you like to go to a political party, which you are aware that your younger brother will be recognized more than you? Anybody who answers this question correctly will know why Emmanuel Uko has been allegedly trying to serve as informant to Peoples’ Democratic Party, since 2011 but to no avail.

I think those managing publicity machines for the opposition party in Ibesikpo need to oil its machinery, so as to win more tangible votes. It is not everyone who defects to a political party that must be shown on the internet and print media. For instance, if Larry Esin jumps ship, it is of no use publicizing such gesture, because the next moment, he may defect again. I am trying to think that, if Peter Touch decides to embrace APC in Ibesikpo Asutan, his entrance may be highly welcome with enough publicity. However, it shouldn’t be that way; at least someone should be bold enough to ask Peter Touch when he was healed of madness and also inquire if he has a voting card.

I had expected critics to come out with viable reasons why Rt. Hon. Aniekan Uko should not return as the assembly man after the re-run, no one has given me a viable input. The only fabricated blackmails they presented is that, he used to blow siren too much and that, he empowers people too much.

I was surprised when an opposition member queried, “Why did his wife gave people up to 300 bags of rice just for Christmas alone?” another fan posited, “As if that was not enough, Aniekan Uko wrapped it all with 11 brand new vehicles and twenty motor cycles. With such feats, we must try to tarnish his image on the internet, without that, Gabriel will not be seen as anything in the forthcoming election”. I don’t know what the last speaker meant by “Gabriel”, I asked, but he refused to answer me.

I expected politicians to examine and draw line of distinction between Aniekan Uko and his opponent. It is factual that, the Aniekan served as a successor to his opponent in the Legislative Chamber of Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area, it is true that the Afaha Atai in Afaha divide, which APC candidate hails from, has benefitted immensely from various political appointments, thus, though ward zoning favours the opposition candidate, political zoning doesn’t adhere to his zeal.

Let me explain this, Ibesikpo ward one, which the duo hail from, is made up of ten villages, five is under what they called Afaha and the other five is merged as Non Afaha. Afaha, which the APC candidate hails from has been the leader of the council under the regime of Iniobong Ekpenyong, which the APC candidate was and allegedly used his position to facilitate the selling of incubation centre in Nung Oku Ibesikpo, the same Afaha has been a Vice Chairman of the council through Daniel Ekanem during the dispensation of PAP GUY, Under the administration of Uwem Ita Etuk, it was Afaha, which produced Mr. Emmanuel Atakpo as the secretary of the council, the said Atakpo later became a Member of State Secondary Education board thereby increasing the political appointment allotted to Afaha.

Today, the ward chairman, Aqua Aqua is from there, while the dissolved Local Government Council had Solomon Aniedi Asuquo as an Afaha man. We shouldn’t forget in haste that Emediong Aqua, an Afaha fellow is a representative of Afaha in the transition council. As shown below, Afaha has gotten its Lion share of the political appointments that may have been the reason, why the elders of Ibesikpo devoid of political affiliations unanimously agreed that, Afaha shall produce a councilor, so as for Non Afaha to be entitled to House of Assembly member.

I had expected someone to tell me, why the biological sister to the APC candidate, while alive didn’t support her brother. Truth is, just like Goodluck Jonathan told delegates during his 2011 Presidential primaries; the electorates in Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area know the antecedence of the two candidates. They know that, the worst of Aniekan Uko is the best of his opponent.

This may have been reason, why someone responded thus on the purported defection of Emmanuel Uko’s defection to APC, “This people should leave internet and go to the field and canvass for votes for themselves. We are tired of infantile propaganda, Aniekan Uko’s brother was never a member of PDP, also, he doesn’t have voters card” As soon as I read the comment, I perceived foul smell. I noticed that, the populace is beginning to be weary of infantile blackmail on Rt. Hon. Aniekan Uko, I also noticed that the electorates know his elder brother more than the writer of the news.

I forged ahead to find out from a PDP chieftain in Ibesikpo Asutan, the guy said, “My brother, we don’t want informant in the party, we don’t want someone who will betray our party the manner Aniekan Akpan betrayed ACN and Udoedehe, that is why we refused to register Emmanuel Uko as our member, if he claims to be a member of PDP, please ask him to present his Party membership card”. I was shock after the conversation, I started examining why someone should have claimed to be a member of a political party he wasn’t. Well I may not put the blame on Emmanuel Uko, I will rather blame supporters of APC, who forget to ask him of his voters and party’s card.

When I put call across to the former speaker, he said, “In my family, respect is sacrosanct, thus, I won’t wash my elder brother’s dirty linen on the media, he remains my elder brother, however, as far as the forthcoming election is concern, my target is electorates with voters card. We have a target and I can assure you that, our God will answer our prayer. I want to use this medium to tell Ibesikpo Asutan not to be carried away by blackmail, propaganda and brouhaha. We should know that, Ibesikpo Asutan belongs to all of us, after election, we will still remain the same entity, thus, we should eschew political sentiments and embrace peace, progress and unity of Ibesikpo Asutan local government area”

Those who are closer to the former speaker said, he does not play politics of rancor. A core APC fans said he was happy with the manner Aniekan Uko embraced and interacted with the gubernatorial candidate of APC, Obong Umana Okon Uman during Late Donald Etiebet burial describing him as a no-dirty-politician. With such testimony from an opponent, it is glaring that, the former speaker, though hated by few opponents is a jolly good fellow.

This may have been reason, why he bagged Best Councilor Award, shortly after he took over from his opponent. This may have been the reason, why the twenty six members of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly ignored the House Rule and bestowed on him the speaker of the sixth assembly, even though he was a first timer. Maybe, this is the reason why electorates in Ibesikpo Local Government Areas have unanimously pledged to vote him back as the legislator.

So, instead of inviting EFCC to arrest the former Speaker for putting smiles on his people via donation of vehicles and motorcycles, we should rather call on the EFCC to award him for catering for his subjects with little resources accrued to him. Rather than, ranting on how Aniekan Uko’s wife doled out 300 bags of rice to people, the fabricator of such baseless gossip should anoint the wife of his opponent to do same and see if she will be able.

Folks, giving is a gift, that is all. A man or woman without such gift cannot give. It is usually said that, no one gives what he doesn’t have. Giving is embedded in the genotype of Rt. Hon. Aniekan Uko that is why he singlehandedly appointed more than 60 aides from each of the wards in Ibesikpo Asutan including physically challenged. I beg to ask, how many were his opponent aides, when he was the Legislative Leader in the area?

Ibesikpo and Asutan know the difference between wearing and bearing a cross. They know the leadership strides between Aniekan Uko and Gabriel Akpan. At the appointed time, they will decide through ballot papers. The argument of saying that, Emmanuel Uko has defected doesn’t hold water, simply because Emmanuel Uko was never a member of PDP, he doesn’t have followers as well as Voters card. So for a political party to advertise such person on the internet, it falls under baseless political gimmicks.

Even in the polling unit which Emmanuel shares with Aniekan, do you think, the former could outshine the latter? In case we have forgotten, it is a normal phenomenon for two brothers to play different political party. Even Tony Anienie and his Wife, had dissect interest regarding politics. Gabriel Akpan’s sister before her death was a core supporter of Rt. Hon. Aniekan Uko, so what is so special about a man without a voter’s card jumping ship? Please such is an infantile propaganda taken too far.

When the car is filled, and unable to run, they will have to offload some. For now everybody is accepted.

When you are in the opposition, you are a thief but ones in you're made whole.