The last is yet to be heard on why the chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, was schemed out of the Eket Federal Constituency primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State as feelers have emerged that his alleged affinity with former military president, Ibrahim Babangida, may have cost him the seat.
The governor of Akwa Ibom State, Chief Godswill Akpabio who allegedly disclosed this recently at a breakfast meeting with senior editors of some national newspapers who were in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital, accused the House spokesman of fraternising with former head of state and erstwhile presidential aspirant of the PDP, Babangida ahead of the 2011 primaries.
Akpabio was earlier reported to have declared, during the inauguration of the PDP presidential primaries committee in Abuja, that Eyiboh lost the primaries because “he does not attend weddings and burial ceremonies at home and was guilty of refusing to pay ‘tithe’ to political godfathers.”
One of the editors who was at the meeting told our correspondent that the governor said Eyiboh drew the ire of the people of Eket and Akwa Ibom in general by bringing IBB to the state in 2010 when he knew very well that IBB was vying for president against President Goodluck Jonathan who hailed from the South South.
When contacted on phone, Hon. Eyiboh declined to comment on the allegations, and said he would not go into any discussion on the issue of Eket Federal Constituency primaries of the PDP because it would amount to subjudice.
“I’m not going to go into any discussion on the issue because the drama surrounding the primaries of my party in Eket Federal Constituency is in court and whatever I say about it now would amount to pre-empting the outcome of the case,” he explained.
Reacting on the allegations that he brought IBB to Uyo, which incensed the people who paid him in his own coins by rejecting him at the primaries, Eyiboh said nothing could be farther from the truth explaining that the invitation of the former president had no political undertones as nothing political was raised or discussed at the inauguration of the board of the Initiatives and that,those at Uyo Stadium instead of any designated centre at Eket as prescribed by law could not have been the representation of the wish of an average Eket Federal constituency people whom i have served over the years with dedication.
‘I want to say that my present set back in respect of what happened in that Primaries shall remain like HIV/AIDS because as it infects an individual today,the society shall be affected tomorrow. The Initiatives, which I head as the Dean never invited IBB to Uyo for political reasons and I want to be quoted that at the inauguration of the board of the Initiatives, IBB had not declared his Presidential ambition,never made any political statement or canvassed for votes using the name of any political party during the occasion.
‘The records are there for anyone to see that everybody including security both at State and National were present with the Governor,his wife as well as the deputy governor and I could remember vividly that the governor sang a very memorable song eulogising IBB that ‘I didn’t know you will honour me this way…’, so I wonder why my set back at the primaries would be linked to hobnobbing with IBB.
‘At that event, the former chief justice of the federation, Justice Muhammad Uwais was present,along with other notable personalities, so I don’t know why the issue of IBB would lead to my losing elections.During the Presidential primaries,akwa ibom state voted 100% Dr Johnathan and i was a statutory delegate,so were lies all these?’
Perceptive observers have opined that if the celebral Eyiboh lost because of IBB visit to Uyo, what happened to Senator Effiong Bob, leader of the Akwa Ibom caucus in the National Assembly who mobilised 100 percent support from members for the governor yet could not survive the primaries? What about Senator Ekaette whose family was the direct benefactor of the governor in the run to the 2007 guber race but could not be returned?
As the controversy surrounding the PDP primaries in the state continue, the question on the lips of many commentators are, what will be the manifest outcome of this political impasse in Akwa Ibom in 2014 when the incumbent governor shall begin his exit process from office?Only time will tell.
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