₦airaland Forum

Mynd44:
While true, I think people should be bothered that a lot of politicians in the SS especially Akwa Ibom seem to leaving Governor Odom's side. Is he doing something wrong or not doing something he should do?

Considering that the general elections is close by, the Akwa Ibom PDP have to plug these holes. The PDP counts on the SS for a lot of votes and it will be disastrous to lose votes there.

Rivers, Delta and Akwa Ibom are the biggest states in the South South/South East and these states are hemmorraging too fast.

Akwa Ibom and Delta State are not as populated as Anambra.
If for anything Anambra may match the population of Rivers State, might even have overtaken them.

For aides of a sitting governor to be resigning in droves means the governor has lost in advance,the elections are a mere formality.for udom to to call for outside help in obj shows how hapless and deserted his camp looks.buhari may even poll more than 30% in the state.

Political orphanage: Governor’s second-time affliction

(C) The Nation Newspaper, October 29, 2018

Those with abiding sense of history will remember the beginning for Deacon Udom Emmanuel as governor of Akwa Ibom State. I remember full well how it was in those early days. Before the Supreme Court judgment and in its immediate aftermath, Emmanuel was the loneliest man that ever lived in the Hilltop Mansion, the seat of government in Uyo. No one wanted to be associated with the new governor. No one of political weight in the state would congratulate or visit him. He would be the first governor in the state that was treated by most of the political elite as a leper.

Udom Emmanuel was the very definition of a political orphan; he was seen as a misbegotten governor, given the reprobate manner of his emergence.

He so felt the emptiness of his scorned elevation and the near zero solidarity of the people with his governorship that he began to throw around false claims of solidarity and congratulatory messages, which were routinely repudiated by those alleged to have sent them. In fact, the blasphemous coinage ‘divine mandate’ with which Udom characterizes his ascension to power, according to those in the inner circle of the administration at the time, was a pugnacious riposte to the near total rejection of the improbable governor.

For a long time the elite and most men of conscience in the state stayed away. Emmanuel was thrashing around for support that was not forthcoming.

Over time, however, Emmanuel used the instrumentality of hunger—a well-known weapon of coercion—to extract support. For a state where government is everything Emmanuel was in a pole position to command political behaviour through patronage. The urbane architect and well-known politician, Ezekiel Nya-Etok, gave life to this public view of the governor in a recent tribute to Nsima Ekere, the state APC governorship candidate, where he testified to the support he received from Ekere over a federal consultancy job, despite their political differences at the time, contrasting same with his experience with Governor Emmanuel in the following words, “For a man to put the ultimate good of his people far and above his personal ambition is something that must be commended. It definitely speaks volumes of his person and character.

“What makes this more ‘touching’ to me is the extent to which I have begged to be paid for the professional service I rendered in the last administration, which Governor Udom Emmanuel has treated with the worst ignominy—notwithstanding that I was one of his greatest advocates, and have since NEVER approached him for any form of appointment nor project patronage (Contract)”.

That is a live experience. Emmanuel used patronage—the reverse of which is hunger—to extract involuntary support from politicians who had strong moral grounds and other reasons to be disdainful of his government.

The strong arms tactics worked up to a point. That is the nature of coercion. It can be effective only up to a point. Once that threshold is reached, resistance sets in and then the inevitable bailing out begins.

Udom Emmanuel is facing the bailing out phase now. Since the beginning of the year, Emmanuel’s supporters and political family members have departed in droves. In the last few months, no fewer than seven of his advisers have left in a huff, tossing in the governor’s face complaints of deprivation, denial and discrimination. Those who have voted with their feet are Dr. Anthony Usoro, senior special assistant on demographic planning; Barr Chris Okorie, special assistant on electoral matters; Elder Ibanga Etang, special assistant on project monitoring; Mr Anietie Ebe, special assistant on project monitoring; Barr Mfon Udeme, special assistant on electoral matters; Mr Joe Iniodu, special assistant on media; and Mr Idorenyin Esikot, special assistant on small and medium scale enterprises. One of the aides who resigned warned of an exodus before the elections. House of Assembly members have also left; and so have some commissioners.

The most tectonic departure to hit the Udom Emmanuel administration convulsed the political landscape in in the state in August when the immediate past governor of the state and Mr Emmanuel’s political backbone, Senator Godswill Akpabio, walked out and joined the APC. Emmanuel’s inner circle saw Akpabio’s defection to the APC as a declaration of war, prompting the director-general of the governor’s re-election campaign organization, Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga (rted), to advise the governor to raise an ‘army’ for imminent war.

Since Akpabio left the PDP for the APC, entire PDP political structures in a majority of local council areas in the state have declared for the APC. Key politicians across the state, including a former deputy governor, former senators, a retired deputy inspector general of police, have all recoiled from the current state administration and its party, the PDP, to embrace the APC.

Udom Emmanuel is deserted. Affliction has arisen a second time for the deacon. The blizzard of political orphanage has come full circle for a governor whose shenanigans have worn out, and who no longer enjoys the shelter of a political godfather.

The political talking points and teachable moment from the fate that has befallen Udom Emmanuel hold a deep message for politicians and leaders of all hues: Performance is the only enduring rampart that guarantees survival even when a godfather departs.


Udom Emmanuel has not performed and the people know he has not, which is a tribute to the limit of propaganda, sadly missed by the coterie of his courtiers on social media. The governor’s lacklustre run had been the subject of the whisper network in the ruling party in the state and the focal point of the opposition’s criticism of the governor until last December when it became a state-wide chant following Senator Akpabio’s still-reverberating “All is not well” statement.

To be fair, Emmanuel is not the first politician with a dumb record at election time. I remember former President Goodluck Jonathan admitting before an assembly of Akwa Ibom people at the GodswillAkpabio Stadium in Uyo in 2015 that he had done nothing for the state, then apologized and asked for a fresh start. The point, however, is that Mr Emmanuel is different in a critical respect. The childlike sincerity of the Jonathan accounting is absent in what Udom Emmanuel is telling the state. He is not accepting his failure but making up achievements that cannot be collaborated by any objective evaluation.

This is part of what has set up the centrifugal field around the governor, repelling supporters and aides alike. This in part is why the Udom Emmanuel administration is being shorn off support across the state, thereby leaving the governor as a political orphan for the second time in his four-year stint at the Hilltop Mansion.



Jimmy, a communication strategist, lives in Lagos.

Who is Anthony Usoro? Nobody knows him here. His defection does not change anything because he has no electoral value.

People will just wake up and look for their share of the loot being shared by a drowning APC and someone will shout defection...... Rubbish!

senatordave1:
I pity udom.i hope he does not resign and join apc

APC should be pitied rather...

No way for APC in Akwa Ibom State.

Nsima Ekere is from my local government (Ikot Abasi) and I don't think he can get upto 10% vote there.

jaytee01:
Who is Anthony Usoro? Nobody knows him here. His defection does not change anything because he has no electoral value.

People will just wake up and look for their share of the loot being shared by a drowning APC and someone will shout defection...... Rubbish!

Don't mind them...

BrownRoofRep:
Akwa Ibom and Delta State are not as populated as Anambra.
If for anything Anambra may match the population of Rivers State, might even have overtaken them.

He meant in terms of votes,rivers,delta and akwa ibom usually gives pdp the highest votes since 1999,at least 4 million while the opposition gets less than 200,000.in 2015 when gej got less thsn 4 million from those 3 states he lost.from what is on ground,pdp may win those states marginally,may not get up to 3 million votes while apc will get close to a million,a big reason why atiku cant win.
In terms of population,delta and anambra are equal.anambra also gives pdp votes.anambra may be the only state that may give pdp up to a million votes next year because of obi.but with apga pulling weigt,apc getting stronger in the state plus the looming ipob boycott,it may not be possible.if pdp resorts to rigging,it wil be disastrous.atiku cant win

gentlegenius:
APC is fielding a good candidate in Akwa Ibom, and most of the defectors are joining APC because of him(Nsima), not because of Akpabio or the daura dullard as some people may think.
I will vote Nsima in our governorship election, but I will OBIdiently ATIKUlate in presidential election.
The certificateless dullard must leave Aso rock for good.

U are right.
Most people will go for PDP in the presidential election and go for APC in the gubernatorial election.

Akpan107:
APC should be pitied rather...

No way for APC in Akwa Ibom State.

Nsima Ekere is from my local government (Ikot Abasi) and I don't think he can get upto 10% vote there.

Thats your opinion alone out of over 100,000 voters in ikot abasi.next year will tell

Tonyebarcanista, what is happening to Udom? Are you sure your master will be reelected?

jaytee01:
Who is Anthony Usoro? Nobody knows him here. His defection does not change anything because he has no electoral value.

People will just wake up and look for their share of the loot being shared by a drowning APC and someone will shout defection...... Rubbish!

You dont need to know him.hes s.a to the governor for a reason,not just for governance but to mobilize voters at the grassoot.it is these men that oil the grassroot movement,mobilize voters and hire crowds for the politicians like udom and akpabio.they dont go directly.they use these aides.usoro can mobilize at least 5000 voters.by february,you will see the damage he will cause your pdp

You can't bite the finger that feeds you and go score free, senator God'swill akpabio still remain the man to beat in akwa ibom.

kingkakaone:
U are right.
Most people will go for PDP in the presidential election and go for APC in the gubernatorial election.

Why contradict yourself? Dont you realize that apc fielding good candidates in ss/se will give buhari votes? The ''most people'' you refer to wont exceed 70% in ss in a free and fair poll bearing in mind that elections here are never free and fair which will favor apc more.
A forensic analysis of rivers 2015 polls will show that buhari got over 100k while gej didnt get up to 600

Please don't pity Udom rather Nsima Ekere cos they are resigning to eat NDDC looted money

Kennydoc:
Tonyebarcanista, what is happening to Udom? Are you sure your master will be reelected?

As it stands,he wont.he will be lucky to win up to 10 lgas.only 3 men are now holding his government from total collapse,they are bassey akpan,enoidem and onofiok luke.if these 3 men leave,udom will lose all the 31 lgas

senatordave1:
As it stands,he wont.he will be lucky to win up to 10 lgas.only 3 men are now holding his government from total collapse,they are bassey akpan,enoidem and onofiok luke.if these 3 men leave,udom will lose all the 31 lgas

The kind of politics you guys play in Nigeria is sickening and stinking. Imagine Akpabio and all these guys that ran PDP for 19 years in Akwa Ibom State will turn around tomorrow and start blaming Udom for whatever failures PDP has experienced in the state since 1999. It just doesn't make any sense.

Next year election is almost around the corner, the APC made more noise during the last election than they currently do and were still not successful, this time around would not be an exception

For anyone in their right senses to say Udom Emmanuel has not perform is pathetic and goes to show the extent we humans can go to give a dog a bad name in other to hang it. That been said the elections are just around the corner "time and only time will tell"

senatordave1:
He meant in terms of votes,rivers,delta and akwa ibom usually gives pdp the highest votes since 1999,at least 4 million while the opposition gets less than 200,000.in 2015 when gej got less thsn 4 million from those 3 states he lost.from what is on ground,pdp may win those states marginally,may not get up to 3 million votes while apc will get close to a million,a big reason why atiku cant win.
In terms of population,delta and anambra are equal.anambra also gives pdp votes.anambra may be the only state that may give pdp up to a million votes next year because of obi.but with apga pulling weigt,apc getting stronger in the state plus the looming ipob boycott,it may not be possible.if pdp resorts to rigging,it wil be disastrous.atiku cant win

Delta and Anambra is not equal. Anambra has more population and the rapid growing population of Onitsha area of the State is alarming.

The only time Delta and AKS gave PDP more votes was in 2015 because of Kanu's boycott broadcast.

Akpabio will deliver Akwa ibom to APC come 2019. he is loved by his people

BrownRoofRep:
Delta and Anambra is not equal. Anambra has more population and the rapid growing population of Onitsha area of the State is alarming.

The only time Delta and AKS gave PDP more votes was in 2015 because of Kanu's boycott broadcast.

Stop this nonsense.in 2011 delta gave pdp 1.3 million,aks gave 1.1 million and and anambra gave 1.1 million..same thing in 2007 and 2003.according to 2006 census,delta has more population

Kennydoc:
The kind of politics you guys play in Nigeria is sickening and stinking. Imagine Akpabio and all these guys that ran PDP for 19 years in Akwa Ibom State will turn around tomorrow and start blaming Udom for whatever failures PDP has experienced in the state since 1999. It just doesn't make any sense.

While pdp are waiting til dec to get more defectors and atiku is in london with his team for a jamboree,apc are supplanting them in ss/se.atiku will be humiliated starting from ss.

gentlegenius:
APC is fielding a good candidate in Akwa Ibom, and most of the defectors are joining APC because of him(Nsima), not because of Akpabio or the daura dullard as some people may think.
I will vote Nsima in our governorship election, but I will OBIdiently ATIKUlate in presidential election.
The certificateless dullard must leave Aso rock for good.

Good move! The Collective objective is to vote out the tyrant in Aso Rock. I care less about party, anyone doing good at the state level should be voted for

senatordave1:
Why contradict yourself? Dont you realize that apc fielding good candidates in ss/se will give buhari votes? The ''most people'' you refer to wont exceed 70% in ss in a free and fair poll bearing in mind that elections here are never free and fair which will favor apc more.
A forensic analysis of rivers 2015 polls will show that buhari got over 100k while gej didnt get up to 600

Let's wait till then.

Who's the so call Aids if i may ask? A simple PA that has no political weight in his ward? I never heard of such name until today.
Iam an Akwa Ibomite. I arise to defend my territory from parasite party APC.
#OnlyGod
#PDPweknow.

senatordave1:
While pdp are waiting til dec to get more defectors and atiku is in london with his team for a jamboree,apc are supplanting them in ss/se.atiku will be humiliated starting from ss.

Bro, campaign hasn't officially started. Just wait till then.
Atiku, Obi and their campaign team are strategising, setting up template for the restoration of Nigeria. Bro, they are planning. I know planning is alien to Buhari and the entire APC, so that's why it's difficult for you to understand. I can bet you that Atiku will have his entire cabinet ready even before elections.
You guys will be shocked when campaigns start, when Atiku/Obi start dishing out well thought out and workable plans for the emancipation of Nigeria.

Talking about defections, politicians are defecting based on their personal interests. It has nothing to do with the masses.

Prior to Osun elections for example, there was no indication that PDP would be anything close to nearly winning the election, but the masses spoke through their votes. The masses would speak again in the SS/SE especially regarding the presidential election. I can't say much about the guber elections.

senatordave1:
He meant in terms of votes,rivers,delta and akwa ibom usually gives pdp the highest votes since 1999,at least 4 million while the opposition gets less than 200,000.in 2015 when gej got less thsn 4 million from those 3 states he lost.from what is on ground,pdp may win those states marginally,may not get up to 3 million votes while apc will get close to a million,a big reason why atiku cant win.
In terms of population,delta and anambra are equal.anambra also gives pdp votes.anambra may be the only state that may give pdp up to a million votes next year because of obi.but with apga pulling weigt,apc getting stronger in the state plus the looming ipob boycott,it may not be possible.if pdp resorts to rigging,it wil be disastrous.atiku cant win

Apga is dwindling in anambra state. The sham of a primary they conducted is causing ripples in anambra and other south east states. As an apc strategist, you should make out time to visit south east states. Most times you make these predictions, i laugh to the roof

michae1004:
Apga is dwindling in anambra state. The sham of a primary they conducted is causing ripples in anambra and other south east states. As an apc strategist, you should make out time to visit south east states. Most times you make these predictions, i laugh to the roof

Still apc is stronger than pdp in anambra and imo.apc is getting stronger in abia,enugu and ebonyi

akpanakwaibom:
Next year election is almost around the corner, the APC made more noise during the last election than they currently do and were still not successful, this time around would not be an exception

For anyone in their right senses to say Udom Emmanuel has not perform is pathetic and goes to show the extent we humans can go to give a dog a bad name in other to hang it. That been said the elections are just around the corner "time and only time will tell"

Have it in mind that INEC under PDP conducted the last election.
So,2015 is different from 2019

senatordave1:
Still apc is stronger than pdp in anambra and imo.apc is getting stronger in abia,enugu and ebonyi

Like i said on my earlier post you need to take a trip to south east states before you form an opinion.

michae1004:
Like i said on my earlier post you need to take a trip to south east states before you form an opinion.

I have travelled to all the states in the ss/se so i know what am saying.

senatordave1:
I have travelled to all the states in the ss/se so i know what am saying.

February is around the corner. I will bookmark this conversation for future reference.

michae1004:
February is around the corner. I will bookmark this conversation for future reference.

Ditto.pdp may have it easy in se but expect heavy resistance in the ss

Mynd44:
While true, I think people should be bothered that a lot of politicians in the SS especially Akwa Ibom seem to leaving Governor Odom's side. Is he doing something wrong or not doing something he should do?

Considering that the general elections is close by, the Akwa Ibom PDP have to plug these holes. The PDP counts on the SS for a lot of votes and it will be disastrous to lose votes there.

Rivers, Delta and Akwa Ibom are the biggest states in the South South/South East and these states are hemmorraging too fast.

better concern yourself with the intractable APC crisis in virtualy every state of the federation