COURT STALLS GOV. AKPABIO'S SUCCESSION MOVES

The Governor of Akwa ibom state Obong Godswil Obot Akpabio seem to have run into a brick wall with his anointed candidate Mr. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel whom he had succeeded in arranging the party ticket for during the People's Democratic Party governorship primaries on Monday 9th december 2014. Though the whole primaries was aired live on Channels T.V and AIT to show a totally free and fair exercise which produced a landslide victory for the governor's candidate the other 22 aspirant may have successfully challenged the authenticity of the primaries at least for the interim through their prayers before a Federal High Court sitting at Abuja. They have challenged among other things the authenticity of the delegates that voted at the primaries contending that the State Party Chairman refused to show them the list of delegates and the ballot papers to be used for the election despite repeated demands and reminders for him to do so before the commencement of voting as enshrined in section 19(1) of the PDP guidelines.
According to source the alleged delegates list was leaked to the local media before the primaries but the leadership of the party through Obong Paul Ekpo the State Party Chairman denied that that was the intended list only for them to proceed to use the very same list which had a majority of non party members and faux delegates.
Flowing the foregoing the Federal High Court has granted injunction restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting and recognizing the candidacy of Mr. Udom Emmanuel Gabriel. Now while the court adjourned to monday the 5th of January 2015 for further proceeding the ultimatum for submission of the party flag bearer to INEC is 16th January 2015. At such, it is unclear whether the governor will be able to untangle his candidate from this legal web. Meanwhile, it seems the aggrieved aspirants on the other have also finally earned the attention, concern and sympathy of the presidency and national leadership of the party which has been hitherto insulated from their entreaties courtesy of powers unknown though accusing fingers point to the Chairman People's Democratic Party (PDP) Governor's Forum.
Accordingly, there is only one of four possible outcomes to this conundrum which are:
1. That the PDP in Akwa Ibom State may not field a candidate for the 2015 gubernatorial elections if the suit proceeds beyond the ultimatum and the parties concerned fail to reconcile their interest before then or

2. That the court may vacate the injunction and rule in favour of His Excellency and his heir apparent where they are able to tip the balance of probability to their favour in their representation before the court or where the aggrieved fail to prove their case. Or
3. The court may upon the representation of the aggrieved party nullify the alleged primaries and order a fresh one to be conducted and if they are able to comply before the INEC deadline God bless them or
4. Both His Excellency and the aggrieved parties sheath their sword and come to a compromise on the vexed matter and this may probably work if the alleged winner of the primaries is dropped or if the presidency and party leadership find their way into the hearts of 22 aggrieved aspirant.
Be that as it may, all is not well for the party especially considering the fact that they have a strong opposition on ground to fight all ready in the person of Obong Umana Okon Umana the former Secretary to the State Government whom the Governor sacked to accommodate the noww anointed candidate but is now flying the flag of All Progressives Congress. Interestingly, this opposition structure gave the ruling PDP a very stiff fight in 2011 polls and it took the political gallantry and con of the said Umana Umana and some of these aggrieved aspirants and other protesting party chieftains and soldiers to wade through. Hence, PDP cannot afford to lose more of its gladiators and foot soldiers to the already formidable opposition. And indeed these aggrieved aspirant cannot be shoved easily bearing in mind that they have at different levels held great sway in the party and still do till now. Some of them are Obong Opkolupm Etteh (Majority Leader Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly), Amb. Assam Assam SAN (former Attorney General Akwa Ibom State and former Nigerian Ambassador to Russia), Barr. Ekpeyong Ntekim (former Commissioner for Justice of the state), Obong Nsima Ekere (former Deputy Gov of the state), Obong Patrick Ekpo Otu (former Deputy Gov to Gov. Akpabio), Sen. Helen Esuene (serving senator of the Federal Republic), Barr. Effiong Abia (former commissioner for Local Govt & Chieftaincy Matters and former Comm. For rural development), Barr. Okpo Asuquo (Legal Practitioner and Oil Mogul) and Benjamin Okoko to mention a few.

Okpo Ewa Edmund Esq.
Solicitor, Arbitrator & Literati.
Humanity Chambers,
Uyo, AKS.