Etim EtimIt’s exactly a week to the March 11 governorship election. The major candidates are making their final push across the state. Gov. Udom Emmanuel is spending money, trying to convince INEC workers and his party supporters to back his stooge, Umo Eno.
Last week, the governor doled out N20,000 to each of the about 13,000 NYSC members that would serve as election officials in the state. He also gave N10,000 to the ad hoc staff who are mostly civil servants in the state. In addition, he personally paid $200 to each of the current 329 Councilors and another $200 to each of the 329 Ward Leaders in the PDP. In addition, the governor has also paid out huge sums of money to some religious leaders (he calls them ‘’Fathers of Faith’’). He is also sending N500,000 to each of the 4,584 polling units in the state. In all the governor is said to be spending close to N10 billion in a massive vote-purchase scheme for the March 11 election. “The race is down to the wire; and our governor is so desperate that he’s spending money like a drunken sailor to avoid being humiliated,’’ said a politician, Linus Obot, from Ibesikpo-Asutan LGA.
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The governor told the Councilors and the Ward Leaders that he had to personally dole out the cash himself because he wanted to avoid diversion of the cash by PDP middlemen. “They used to lie to me; and so, they could not even deliver their wards in the presidential election. Now, I want to deal directly with you,’’ Udom Emmanuel addressed them before he sat to give out the crispy banknotes. But despite these desperate waste of resources, Umo Eno still remains a largely unpopular and disliked candidate.
Meantime, Akan Udofia, one of the two aspirants battling for APC ticket (APC has no candidate as at today) and Bassey Albert (OBA) of YPP are bickering over who should step down for the other. OBA believes that he has a bigger support base, while Udofia reasons that OBA’s conviction is a major roadblock for him. But with Senator Godswill Akpabio jettisoning Udofia after winning his own senatorial seat last Saturday, APC has a slim chance in this race.
“Udofia is very disappointed that Akpabio has sidelined him and moved on after winning his senatorial election’’, says Rt. Hon. Uwem Udoma, an APC chieftain from Abak LGA.
“The winner of the governorship election will be the candidate with the largest block vote. We in Abak Five are tilting towards supporting Senator Udoedehe’’, says Udoma.
Udoedehe of NNPP is the only candidate not shackled by scandals and court cases.
Etim Etim
ETIM ETIM is a journalist, banker and author. He has been a member of the Editorial Board of The Guardian, a Regional Manager in Access Bank and is currently a Columnist in Prime Business Africa, The Cable and Businessday newspapers.
He is also the Chief Executive of Stein Meyer Communications, a major media consultancy and the author of the best-selling book, "Akwa Ibom Heroes: Inside Story of the Fight for Abrogation of Onshore-Offshore Oil Dichotomy" and co-author of another book, "Osinbajo Strides: Defining Moments of an Innovative Leader".
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