Politics of Akpabio’s aide’s resignation

Godswill Akpabio (left) and Samuel Akpan (right) Though the Special Adviser on Political and Legislative Affairs to the Akwa Ibom State governor, Apostle Samuel Akpan, may have pulled a surprise by resigning his appointment, Kunle Olayeni reports that the development may have been a strategy to prepare the ground for the second term bid of Governor Godswill Akpabio.

When the news of the resignation of the Akwa Ibom State governor’s Special Adviser on Political and Legislative Affairs, Apostle Samuel Akpan, filtered in last Wednesday, many people were momentarily shocked. What could have suddenly gone wrong between the state governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio; and one of his most trusted henchmen was the initial question that agitated the minds of many observers of the unfolding political events in the state.

The only person so far booted out of the nine-month-old administration was the former Chief of Staff to the governor, Obong Cornel Udo. That was barely four months into the fledging government. Apart from Akpan, two special assistants to the governor, Mr. Uwem Ita Etuk and Mr. Udo Esu, incidentally turned in their resignation letters. But the exit of the political adviser was the one which generated so much interest in the state political circle.

The development became more confounding when it was learnt that the former political adviser was quitting his exalted office to contest for a position in the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Apostle Akpan was said to be gunning for the deputy chairmanship position of the party in the state.

Many people wondered why someone would discard the allure of membership of the State Executive Council to take up a party portfolio considered in some quarters as lesser in political significance and highly subordinate in the scheme of things. Or, was Akpan forced to throw in the towel?

Before the government could state its side, tongues wagged and various conjectures formed over what might have informed the sudden resignation of the political adviser. Lately, Apostle Akpan had been at the center of political storm in the state. Apart from holding the forte at the Bureau of Political and Legislative Affairs, seen as the engine room of Governor Akpabio’s political arsenal, he was also the international coordinator of Akwa Ibom People’s Forum (AKPF), a socio-political association that worked for the emergence of the current state administration.

Right from the inception of the Akpabio-led government, the AKPF had continued to bolster and blossom in membership to the extent that it had not only emerged the most formidable political group with controversial cult-like followership, but had also become the issue among political gladiators in the state. A significant number of political appointees, including commissioners, special assistants and local government transition committee chairmen were said to belong to the AKPF.

It was also alleged in some quarters that for one to attain any political position in the Akpabio-led administration, one ought to be an AKPF member or in the alternative, be anointed by the former political adviser. Such was the scenario during the recent PDP local government primaries in Akwa Ibom, which was consequently enmeshed in controversy.

Virtually all the chairmanship and councillorship candidates from across the 31 local government areas of the state emerged through consensus arrangement. The development was allegedly the brain-work of Akpan. This, analysts have observed, was apparently contrived to ensure that the political structure of Akpabio was well grounded and secured in the grassroots ahead of future political expeditions.

Despite the hue and cry over the conduct of the PDP primaries and the numerous appeals to Governor Akpabio, as the leader of the party, to personally ensure that the planned primaries held rather than the consensus option, nothing significant changed in the script.
Apostle Akpan was also the chairman of the PDP Primaries Appeal Committee, a situation that some critics argued foreclosed the hopes of aggrieved chairmanship and councillorship contenders whose aspirations were not in tandem with the outcome.

In the process, Akpan wielded tremendous power which consequently stirred up all sorts of resentment and envy against him. Therefore, following his resignation, his detractors were quick to conclude that the governor’s ally had fallen out of favour for seemingly daring to outshine the master.

But to the contrary, the dramatic exit of the political adviser, according to the Nigerian Tribune’s findings, was hatched to achieve certain political ends. Giving the reason for dumping Akpabio’s cabinet, Akpan, who pointed out that the decision was not an indication of any rift with the governor, said he was now set to contest for the position of the state deputy chairman of the ruling PDP at its forthcoming congress.

“I have been driven by my desire and aspiration to take part in the PDP election as the state deputy chairman of the party. Conscientiously, I’ve been a strong party man for several years and I still feel I have more to offer,” he stated. Akpan described the PDP as a community issue in Akwa Ibom and said he envisioned the party to be one that would not only be committed to the welfare and desire of the people of the state, but also give a direction towards the policy drive of the state government.

He dismissed the insinuation that the office he is currently eyeing was insignificant and inferior to where he was coming from, insisting that “the political party is the father of government. “My gospel from the beginning, long before I became the political adviser to His Excellency, has been the need for a stronger political attitude; and government itself is not a total environment to translate this. So, I have a wider moment now to be able to carry my gospel of stronger participation, inclusiveness, human development and social security by the evolvement through the party machinery.

Nigerian Tribune reliably gathered that the decision of the AKPF boss to proceed to the PDP was a gameplan the governor himself was aware of. The thinking, according to sources in the administration, is that since Apostle Akpan remains an outstanding loyalist who has performed creditably to the admiration of Governor Akpabio, he should be given a “higher responsibility.” “The need to stabilise and reposition the PDP (which harbours diverse interests) is crucial to the Akpabio-led administration and nobody seems capable enough at the moment to undertake the mission other than Akpan,” a party source confided in the Nigerian Tribune.

It was also learnt that the resolve not to tamper with the existing zoning arrangement of political offices in the state informed why the former political adviser was dispatched for the race for deputy chairmanship and not the state chairmanship. The state PDP chairmanship position had already been zoned to Uyo Senatorial District. Akpan hails from Onna Local Government Area in Eket Senatorial District of the state.

But the person being tipped to emerge as the new party chairman is Mr. Uwem Etuk, who also recently resigned his appointment as the Special Assistant to Governor Akpabio on Project Monitoring. He hails from Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area in Uyo Senatorial District and is said to be strongly backed by the AKPF. Going by the prevailing political situation in the state, he is likely to emerge the new PDP chairman.

A reliable party source told the Nigerian Tribune that the governor’s strategists envisaged a cordial and harmonious working relationship between Etuk and Akpan since the latter is the overall boss of Akpabio’s political family, the AKPF.

However, there are some analysts who still believe that the overbearing influence of the former political adviser on political decisions warranted his being eased out. According to the observers, Akpan might have committed a political blunder by deciding to become a party executive. It is argued that the dynamics of politics will eventually constrain his political viability in the deputy chairmanship seat.