A serious leadership crisis has engulfed the PDP chapters in Akwa Ibom and Cross River states, where the National Working Committee sacked the executive committees and appointed caretaker teams to drive the party.
But party members loyal to the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, are making things difficult for the new caretaker team members. Already, the party’s national secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, an ally of Wike, has written to the sacked chairmen, ordering them to ignore the NWC directives and continue to serve in their offices.
The situation appears to have exposed the cold war between the governor of Akwa Ibom, Pastor Umo Eno, and his predecessor and former godfather, Deacon Udom Emmanuel. The duo had since fallen apart, after Eno decided to quit the PDP to join the senate president, Senator Godswill Akpabio in the APC.
On Thursday, it was learnt that some aides of Eno provided some security to the Elder Aniekan Akpan who was sacked by the NWC as chairman of the PDP. They made sure that some agents believed to be loyal to Udom did not force Akpan out of the PDP secretariat.
While Akpan is suspected to have been planted in the PDP by Eno to protect his interest and ensure that he gets the coverage of the umbrella ahead of the 2027 elections, Udom wants Akpan out of the way, to enable his PDP throw the governor away at the polls.
But Wike’s men, in apparent moves to replicate the Rivers scenario, are suspected to be protected Eno and making sure that the PDP is captured for the APC in Akwa Ibom in 2027.
Penultimate week, Wike was in Akwa Ibom in Eno’s invitation, to inaugurate a road project undertaken by the governor, At the airport, it was Akpan and his team that received Wike. They were properly adorned in PDP colours at the airport.
Akpan is already maintaining his steeze and not taking anything to chance, apparently with the support of the governor and Wike. On Wednesday, he had an interface with journalists, where he told them that he remained the state chairman.
It was followed by a statement which he personally signed. In it, he said “the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State wishes to address a recent wave of misinformation circulating on social media platforms, particularly on Facebook, claiming the dissolution of our duly elected State Executive Committee (Exco). We categorically state that these reports are not only false but also unconstitutional.
“As a party governed by the rule of law and our constitution, our State Exco was elected in a well-constituted state congress for a fixed term of four (4) years. Any attempt to undermine this democratic process through fabricated reports and political jobbery will not be tolerated.
“Notably, some of our elected state party Exco members have been falsely listed as members of an acclaimed caretaker committee. These individuals have already issued a press release distancing themselves from such falsehoods, highlighting the desperation and recklessness of these political bandits.
“Furthermore, we have it on good authority that the National Working Committee (NWC) of our party did not convene any formal sitting to take such a decision. The National Secretary of the PDP, Sen. Samuel N. Anyanwu, has issued a press release discountenancing such publications, affirming that no formal sitting of the NWC was held to sanction the dissolution of our State Exco.
“In light of this, we urge our members, supporters, and the general public to disregard these false reports and remain committed to the lawful leadership of our party in Akwa Ibom State. The State Exco stands firm, and we will continue to work towards advancing the interests of our great party and the people of Akwa Ibom State.
On Thursday, Nyeneime Andy, a pastor and political chieftain in the state wrote an open letter to Akpan, using his facebook wall. In it, he urged him to quit the office and join Udom in the APC, as he could not belong to the two parties at the same time.
“There’s an old English proverb that says, “You can’t eat your cake and have it”. This proverb reminds us that Choices have Consequences and that you cannot indulge in two opposing desires at the same time.
“Life is governed by decisions. Every “yes “to one thing is a “No” to another. When you eat your cake, it is gone, you cannot have it preserved in your hands at the same time. Similarly in life, you cannot pursue compromise and expect integrity. Life demands responsibility, discipline and clarity of Choices.
“Dear Hon. Aniekan, you are a good leader, you served your best, did your bid but I have to tell you the truth, be sensitive to know when to draw the curtain and step aside. I am not a sycophant, I will always stand for the truth. You had your chances to have chosen Senator Bassey Albert as your preferred candidate for the PDP gubernatorial election but you didn’t. OBA stood by PDP, fought for it, funded it but was not rewarded. From that moment, you ate your cake. My brother, you can’t have it again.
“Many people will lie to you to fight, go to court and retain the party chairman’s seat. But the truth is, that is not the right thing to do. You can’t be in APC and in PDP at the same time. Even me will not tolerate that. The moment you handed over your candidate or governor to APC, you have no business in PDP again. In leadership, that is compromise and it cannot be tolerated. That’s the second time, you ate your cake and you can’t still have it.”
He also addressed the state governor in the same light. He said: “Dear Governor Umo Eno, you know me and I have much respect for you, first as a colleague in ministry and secondly as my Governor. But I speak the truth.
“You cannot control two parties at the same time. You have to choose either you are the party leader of APC and relinquish PDP or be ready to face being dragged into the mud. You have to face it, you as a person did not have any political structure, you were riding on some other person’s structure. It’s time to build your own structure.
“ I mean your own that will be loyal to you. Don’t be afraid of stepping on some toes, get ready for betrayal and hurts from people you assumed are on your side. You must advise Hon Aniekan Akpan to step aside and gladly join you in APC.
“Reward him for his loyalty but get ready to build your own structure. This is now politics and not ministry. In ministry you expect members of your church to be loyal but in politics, it is different. You work for it and gain loyalty based on your workings.
In retrospect, when OBA was moving to APC, I handed him over to The Senate President Senator Godswill Akpabio, and the next day I put in my resignation. My tenure did not elapsed constitutionally but I had to step aside.
“It is called integrity. I stood with my candidate Senator Bassey Albert to the end. I would have been selfish to attempt to control YPP as the state chairman and still be part of APC.”
In Cross River, the situation is not any different, except that the state governor, Senator Prince Bassey Otu is not known to be fuelling the crisis there.
But the sacked PDP chairman, Venatius Ikem is still laying claim to the office, relying on the same letter from Anyanwu, while the caretaker chairman, Bassey Ewah has not been able to access the state party secretariat.
