The urge to discuss the chances of electing the people's Governor for Akwa Ibom State in 2023 became very strong after a personal review of the chances each of the Candidates has, who have been pencilled to make it to the ballot, in the oncoming February 2023 Governorship election in the State.

The need to discuss the political fortunes of the Akwa Ibom people so far, before delving into who is best fit to occupy the Hilltop Mansion from May 29 2023, cannot be deemphasized. Our sights must see steps taken, and efforts made by political leaders who framed the politics of the State in the 4th Nigerian Republic.

Tested men n national politics were at the drawing table, where the political trajectory for Akwa Ibom State was mapped, and the only political bloc, which had a State-wide political structure, available to our people, to guide the political process leading to the 4th Republic political nuances in the State, was led by the late Obong Etukudo Ekpro.

The late Obong Ekpro was a man who had no benevolent god to "crack his kernel" for him, so he emerged in Akwa Ibom State politics upon his return from living overseas to raise a grassly rooted support to fuel his political freams for the State. Obong Ekpro built a political career that made him the man to beat when the political grassroots in Akwa Ibom State are needed for electoral defination.

At the entrance of the 4th Republic, we had other leaders, who, like Obong Ekpro, contributed immensely in developing the partisan politics of Akwa Ibom State to become 100% PDP. This has remained the foundation for the electoral successes enjoyed by the ruling Party in the State, since the 4th Republic.

Atuekong Don Etiebet, who emerged into the Akwa Ibom 4th Republic political equation did so as a political party founder, a former Presidential Candidate, and one of the Presidential Aspirant of the PDP. He was readily accepted by the party as the political leader in the State

There were also the late Chief Joe Ating, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, who deputised for Obong Ekpro, and who presently runs the grassroots structure Obong Ekpro left behind, the same structure that provided the template for the structure of the PDP in the State, inherited by the Victor Bassey Attah's administration, but nearly suffocated by his successor.

Elder Ntieyong Inyangmme, Chief Ebong Okon, Obong Victor Bassey Attah, Obong Pius Ibanga, Senator Itak Ekarika, Hon Benjamin Enobong Okoko, Obong Nsima Okon, Chief Ekeng Anam-ndu, and Chief Richard Umoren, were those, among others, who laid the foundation for the 4th Republic politics of Akwa Ibom State.

They framed an all-inclusive leadership that produced the Victor Attah administration, and the political leadership for the State was streamlined, with an intercollegiate hierarchy devolved, accordingly, to handle political decisions for the people.

It would be quite clear to those who have followed the progress of the politics, that the initial collectivity in leadership, though with its own intense disagreements, permitted the leaders to disagree to agree. This strategic inclusivity is what was lost to the administrations that succeeded Obong Victor Bassey Attah. From then on until now, Akwa Ibom people are bedevilled with the principle of one man deciding who becomes Governor of the State.

It was to avoid Akwa Ibom State slipping into a one-party State that Senator Akpanudodedehe, one the founding fathers of Akwa Ibom 4th Republic politics, decided to defect from the PDP to nurse the collection of the suckling opposition which was barely living in the State at that time, to become the most beautiful bride that all political elites now love to court.

PDP refugees, who chose, on their own, to join the State's Opposition struggle, dared to rape the bride: the bride nursed and raised by another man better than them. When the man that bastardized the well mapped-out political trajectory of the State from 2007 to 2018 lost favour with his imposition, it was to that same bride that he ran to, for succour. A bride he molested and almost killed when he was on the other side.

As it stands today, the former Governor, Senator and Ministrr remains the bitterest enemy of the opposition struggle in Akwa Ibom State.

A man who declared his own decision to impose a successor as an error he earlier made, insisted in taking another of such erroneous decision for our people, but chose to do so under the cover of darkness, just to exclude the most qualified man, who is the best prepared to govern Akwa Ibom State from May 2023.

The man ended up shooting himself on the right foot, and now, he has retarded himself politicallpy, while Senator Akpanudoedehe has moved on from the Party in the State with questions demanding answers he is yet to receive.

Senator Akpanudoedehe has moved on with the “fruit basket”, and good enough, he is on the 2023 Governorship ballot. He remains the only founding father of our 4th Republic politics, with clout, boldness, courage, innovation and tenacity to oust the PDP, and to return our State to her status before 2007, and release the people from the shackles of blind leadership, especially those whose decisions must impulsively remain the decision of Akwa Ibom voters.

The Akwa Ibom people need restoration from an abused and a defamed political brand, injected with the misuse of raw State cash to procure the peoples consciences and rights, then subject them to tyranny.

Akwa Ibom State MUST be rescued, and the man to do that remains the only man, remaining among the framers of our 4th Republic politics, who is still very relevant in the politics of the State, who was at the drawing table when the fathers of our politics set the path, and the leadership structure we enjoyed before 2007 – the man is Senator John James Akpanudoedehe.

This is therefore a clarion call to all Akwa Ibom people to look beyond party lines, and support the Candidature of Senator Akpanudoedehe to emerge the next Governor of Akwa Ibom State.

Ini Akpan Morgan writes from Abuja-Nigeria