In a major realignment of forces in Mkpat Enin, one of the largest
local government areas in Akwa Ibom State, the Member representing the
area in the House of Assembly, Engr. Otobong Ndem, on Tuesday, defected
from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives’
Congress (APC) with hundreds of his supporters.
PoliticsNGR
gathered that Ndem announced his defection when he led a delegation of
his supporters in several buses on a solidarity visit to the Akwa Ibom
State APC Gubernatorial Candidate, Mr. Nsima Ekere, at the latter’s
country home in Ikot Oboroenyin, Edemaya, Ikot Abasi Local Government
Area.
Among the defectors on the delegation were the Mkpat Enin
PDP Local Government Chapter Deputy Chairman, Mr. Ukonsek Ukonsek, the
Secretary, Comrade Ubong Kingsley, the Youth Leader, Mr. Ime Inoh, and
some other members of the Chapter Executive Committee, a former Chapter
Chairman, Chief Friday Ayara, a former Chapter Secretary, Comrade Umoren
Umoren, a former Member of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Ini Brown
Ekanem, a former Chairman of Mkpat Enin Local Government, Dr. Imowo
Udobia, a former Vice Chairman of the local government, Mr. Godwin
Udofot, and a former Leader of the Local Government Legislative Council,
Mr. Friday Okobo.
Ndem said, with their defection, the PDP
structure in Mkpat Enin, the local government area with the highest
number of wards (14) in the state, had collapsed totally into the APC.
He
assured Ekere of huge votes from the area, saying, “With the votes of
Mkpat Enin, you will be strolling into Hilltop Mansion. We believe in
you because you are one of our own. We have no reason not to support
you. We are here because we see the future of Akwa Ibom State. We want
to end tortoise politics in Akwa Ibom State. We are not prepared to
support you from behind. We are not ready to play submarine politics. We
are ready to support you openly.”
Also speaking, Ukonsek
described their delegation as the “crack team” of Mkpat Enin politics,
promising that “we will show the world that we own Mkpat Enin” when they
hold a formal defection ceremony at home soon.
Responding,
Ekere expressed delight that the wind of change had reached Mkpat Enin
which shares the federal constituency with his local government area,
Ikot Abasi.
He reasoned that at the rate the wind of change was
spreading across the state, the APC was heading for a 90 per cent win in
the 2019 elections.
Ekere, who is the Managing Director of Niger
Delta Development Commission (NDDC), pointed out that there were
several ongoing NDDC projects in Mkpat Enin under his watch and promised
to do more for the area as NDDC boss and subsequently as Governor.
In
her remarks, the immediate past Deputy Governor of the state, Lady
Valerie Ebe, who defected to the APC last month, commended Ndem for
acting in wisdom and courage, adding that she saw it coming.
Her
words: “Right from the day I defected, I knew this would happen. I am
not surprised. When I left, I knew you will all follow me. The people of
Mkpat Enin are itching to support you (Ekere). Nobody should call
himself a political junction. We have to follow a straight line.”
Ebe
rejected claims that she was supporting Ekere to be Governor to enable
her succeed him as NDDC boss: “I am working for the success of my son
(Ekere) here. I am not looking for position. We don’t want any
position.”
The APC Akwa Ibom South Senatorial Chairman, Dr.
Inyang Dan-Abia, who represented the State Chairman, said he was
impressed with the quality of members of the delegation who he described
as foot-soldiers that have determined Mkpat Enin politics over the
years.
He lauded them for coming to support Ekere who he
eulogized as “a world-class successful businessman and administrator and
a man who is well-exposed in the management of resources.”
Present
during the visit were the APC Deputy Gubernatorial Candidate, Dr. Amadu
Attai, the APC House of Assembly Candidate for Mkpat Enin State
Constituency, Prince Iboro Ekpo, the APC State Assistant Legal Adviser,
Barr. Inyang Udo, the Mkpat Enin APC Caucus Chairman, Apostle John
Okoriko, the Special Assistant to the NDDC Managing Director on
Administration and Human Resources, Pastor Udo Isaiah, the immediate
past Member of the House of Representatives for Ikot Abasi/Eastern
Obolo/Mkpat Enin Federal Constituency, Dr. Akpan Micah Umoh, and a
former Chairman of Ikot Abasi Local Government, Prince Enobong Ufot.
