Tuesday 10 September 2013

Ibanga Akpabio, Okpolupm Etteh plot Akpabio’s fall

Ibanga Akpabio, Okpolupm Etteh plot Akpabio’s fall

* Soon Aso Rock will shun the Governor  -  OPL
 The trouble in Akpabio’s family took a different twist as the state party Secretary Barr. Ibanga Akpabio’s secret plot with Okpolupm Etteh to ensure the leader of the 5th Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly emerges as Akpabio’s successor has been exposed. The deal is a dirty one that if it sees the light of the day, Governor Godswill Akpabio will die politically, THE INK can report on authoritative grounds. 

Ibanga Akapbio is the secretary of the Akwa Ibom PDP and is one of the Akpabios that was fighting the ex-SSG Obong Umana Umana’s guber ambition arguing that the next Governor after Godswill Akpabio should emerge from Eket Federal Constituency.

The party Secretary very reliable sources said have resorted to be blackmailing prospective aspirants before the Governor. An insider says Ibanga Akpabio does this so that the Governor   will see them as those who will not be loyal to him. While deceiving the Governor, Ibanga Akpabio is said to be going about promoting the interest of his principal Okpolupm Etteh with an understanding with the Ibeno man that he (Ibanga Akpabio) will be made the next PDP chairman after Obong Paul Ekpo.

Checks by the newspaper reveal that Ibanga Akpabio and Okpolupm Etteh had sworn to an oath to protect themselves. One of the agreements they are said to have reached is that the party secretary will work on the Governor and the party while the leader of the fifth Assembly will use his Ijaw brothers to work on the presidency so that he will sucuumb to the Ijaw pressure and force the Governor Godswill Akpabio to support the ambition of the House leader who is presently making frantic calls on why he should be supported to emerge the next Governor of the state.  

THE INK gathered from Abuja sources that Okpolupm Etteh is banking on his Ijaw brothers who are close to the president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan as aides, friends and Associates to convince the president and his wife so as to prevail on the Governor Godswill Akpabio to handover the party ticket to him for the 2015 primaries.  It was gathered that Okpolupm Etteh has been spending huge amounts of money on presidential aides and Associates with a view to them prevailing on the president to cause Governor Godswill Akpbabio to see the need to hand over power to Rt. (Hon) Okpolupm Etteh.

While Okpolupm Etteh is busy spending money and working on Dr Goodluck Jonathan through presidential aides, Associates and friends, Ibanga Akpabio has chosen the blackmailing option. The party secretary is said to have been going round fuelling the crises between the Governor and his erstwhile Secretary Umana Umana. A well placed source in Akpabio’s extended political family informed THE INK yesterday in Uyo that the State PDP Secretary has been going round presenting prospective aspirants except Okpolupm Etteh as devils and those who should not be trusted, Ibanga is said to have advised the Governor though some aides of the governor that Akpabio should not reconcile with Umana, Bishop Akpan and others. The dummy they have succeeded in selling to the Governor is that an Ibibio person emerging will fight the governor to a standstill and will go ahead to probe the Governor Godswill Akpabio’s financial recklessness.

THE INK gathered that Governor Godswill Akpabio was deceived by Ibanga Akpabio and his stooges that judging by the way things are, if elections were to be conducted today, that Okpolupm Etteh was going to win. Ibanaga Akpabio is said to have further told his brother Goodswill Akpabio that the Governor should vote money for Okpolokpm Etteh as the House leader does not have financial war chest.
This plot by the state PDP Secretary to have the governor into voting money to OPL sources say will make Akpabio confused and will tend Akpabio to belief that the leader of the 5th Assembly Hon. Okpolokphm Etteh will be loyal to him if he emerges.

A very close source to Ibanga Akpabio who runs most of the political dirty errands for the party secretary boasted to this reporter at Ewet Housing near Ibanga Akpabio’s residence that the Ibibios will not produce the next Governor by 2015. He hinted with excitement that however the Governorship will be ceded to a militant apparently referring to Okpolupm Etteh whom he equally described as having the backing of the Lords of the creeks. “I think you people want zoning to Eket senatorial district, don’t worry, we will give you and plans are there to ensure that whether you people like it or not, OPL will win the PDP ticket afterall he is an Ibeno man from Eket Senatorial District”. The aide opened up.

Meantime, a source from the Akpabio’s family informed THE INK from Abuja that the alliance of Ibanga Akpabio and Okpolupm Etteh has really divided the Akpabio family. “The political romance between my brother Ibanga Akpabio and OPL is not doing the great Akpabio family any good. It has seriously affected Bro Ibanga’s relationship with Sir Emem. They don’t see eyeball to eyeball and you know the Ibibios are insisting on getting back power and Ibanga is not helping matters, we are at cross roads” one of the Governor’s close relations lamented. But Ibanga Akpabio does not appear to be ready to soft pedal. Upon the emergence of Udom Emmanuel as the new SSG, the PDP secretary is said to have hurriedly warned Akpabio against considering handing over to his new SSG Udom Emmanuel. He is alleged to be of the opinion the new SSG will not be a good sale to the political class and the Abuja forces since the new SSG is not yet fully rooted on ground. 

The plot between Ibanga Akpabio and Okpolupm Etteh a follower of the alliance said is to present Okpolupm Etteh as a candidate that is not being anointed by Akpabio to succeed him since in the thinking of Okpolupm Etteh and that of Ibanga Akpabio going by the information they gave to some potential delegates, anyone the Governor, Godswill Akpabio will present as his anointed, will fall flat. THE INK reporter learnt that Ibanga Akpabio And his benefactor fear that if Akpabio anoints Okpoloupm Etteh openly as his imminent Successor, he (Etteh) will be roundly rejected by the electorate in the state  as the consensus thinking will be that the Ibeno man will be coming  in to do the biddings  of Akpabio. Ibanga Akpabio and Okpolupm Etteh want the Ibeno man to be seen as an independent aspirant. The plot our reporter gathered had since gotten to an advanced stage and may soon spill as Okpolupm Etteh have perfected plans to use his position as the leader of the House to force other members especially the ones seen as weak ones to begin to mobilize support for him. Already, some members of the House have started addressing OPL as His Excellency and the House leader is said to be responding to such name with pride and excitement. A source said Akpabio’s gradual forced closeness to Okpolupm Etteh must have informed his acceptance to nominate the House leader into the planning committee of the just concluded PDP mini converge were Okpolupm Etteh emerged as the Deputy chairman of the committee and equally headed some sub committees. While serving in the committee, the House leader was busy making contacts and preaching his message of 2015 and how he intends to succeed Governor Godswill Akpabio.

One of the Northerners Okpolupm Etteh discussed with informed our reporter that OPL was able to take care of them very fine and he believes that the Olgette boss will do them well when he succeeds Governor Godswill Akpabio. Our source said, the man (referring to OPL) is so sure of himself that he even confided in some of them that his connection to the seat of the nation’s power is second to none in the state. Okpolupm Etteh was quoted to have said that sooner or later, the President will desert Governor Akpabio. Our source said, “how is Uyo and the politics there, do you know one Etteh? He is a member of the House of Assembly and he wants to emerge as Governor, do you know the Ijaw connections he has? He said your Governor is not doing well there, find out and let me know”. Continuing, our source said, “I want to introduce him to one big man in my state. Etteh told me that your Governor (referring to Governor Akpabio) is not supporting him but that almost all the people in your state are with him including members of your Akpabio family”

However, unknown to Akpabio  while  he is busy protecting and defending the interest of the president Dr. Goodluck Jonthan, the leader  of the 5th Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Hon Okpolupm Etteh is said to be busy working round the clock secretly plotting to bring down the Governor before president Goodluck Jonathan. A source in Aso Rock villa while exchanging views with one of our reporters said Okpolukpm Etteh is selling the ethnic card to the presidency, Okpolukpm Etteh is alleged to be  informing his Aso Rock foot soldiers that Akpabio is a tribalist, an ethnicist and one running  a one man show in the state. Etteh a competent source who hails from Delta State and works in the presidency said has been informing them (presidential aides) that Akpabio is the cause of the president’s numerous problems and had even suggested that the presidency should let go the Akwa Ibom Governor.

Sources close to Okpolupm Etteh had even confided in the newspaper that the house leader had even informed them that sooner or later, the president will desert Akpabio and then the governor will fail to produce his successor and or will have no other choice than to support him. Okpolupm Etteh is quoted to have said that he is confident of emerging the next Governor by 2015, when queried that the presidency and the Abuja forces of PDP will back Akpabio to produce his choice successor, Okpolupm Etteh is said to have hinted some kitchen members of his governorship quest that sooner or later both the presidency and the Abuja forces of PDP will drop Akpabio and the state Governor will be left bare. An Ibeno man quite close to OPL confirmed this when he told our reporter that Okpolupm Etteh has gone far in his consultations, he informed that the presidency will force Akpabio to back Okpolupm Etteh. One of OPL backers said the presidency will have to sacrifice Akpabio as the Chairman of the PDP Governors forum and also keep him at arm’s length in order to reconcile warring factions in the party and see to the unity of the party. OPL backers believe that Goodluck Jonathan is having problems in the party because of Akpabio, Dame Patience Jonathan, Bamanga Tukur and a few other loyalists to the president. One of them said, the utterances of these persons are building more foes for the president Dr. Jonathan.

Competent sources informed THE INK that Ibanga Akpabio and Okpolupm Etteh are on oath (mbiam) and that the party secretary has been promised to be made the next PDP State chairman if his actions succeed in getting the PDP ticket for Okpolupm Etteh. An official of the State PDP who spoke with THE INK last night said Ibanga Akabio is a big disappointment by indulging in antics that are capable of creating disunity in the state. Our PDP State Officer said he is totally disappointed that Ibanga Akpabio who was drafted into the party by the Governor Godswill Akpabio could plot against the Governor, he added that the PDP is not stupid that it cannot hand the party into the hands of Ibanga Akpabio when there are better party men in the state.

Said he “my newspaper man, esuk ewed mkpo, let me tell you, if Ibanga Akpabio likes let him go to a witch doctor, he can’t emerge the next party Chairman and for OPL, I reserve my comment, but let me tell you that he won’t win. Information monitored from the office of Obong Paul Ekpo State party chairman of the PDP indicates that the party will go for a sound and credible person from Eket Senatorial district especially as the Governor Godswill Akpabio had shown the direction when he addressed delegates and none delegates at Akwa Ibom House during the last PDP Mini Converge. 

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