This article explains why a couple of lawmakers wanted to impeach Akwa Ibom Governor Udom Emmanuel, and what is happening in the oil rich State at the moment.
Akwa Ibom State has played host to violent political drama lately.
On Tuesday, November 27, 2018, Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom had to storm the State House of Assembly complex with suspected thugs and police personnel, in order to prevent his impeachment by a handful of APC lawmakers.
What exactly is going on in that oil rich South-South State?
This piece will answer some of the questions you have on the political crisis engulfing Akwa Ibom State at the moment.
Governor Udom’s rift with his predecessor Senator Godswill Akpabio is a huge factor
Senator Godswill Akpabio, a politician with plenty of clout and following back home, and current Governor Emmanuel, are not on speaking terms over political differences.
Even though Akpabio handpicked and campaigned for Emmanuel to succeed him in 2015 from the PDP platform, both men can’t stand the sight of the other at the moment.
When Akpabio eventually defected to the governing APC on August 8, 2018, the battle line between both men was drawn.
To prove how disgusted he was with Akpabio and his defection, Gov Emmanuel promptly sacked two commissioners from his cabinet for joining the welcome party that received Sen Akpabio at the Uyo Airport, a day before he formally announced that he was dumping the PDP for the APC.
Akpabio continues to mock Emmanuel over the defection, which he often refers to as “uncommon”.
The senator has also promised to ensure that the APC wins Akwa Ibom in the forthcoming 2019 elections—a move Emmanuel has vowed to resist with every fiber of his being.
So, what led to the violence in Akwa Ibom this week?
On Tuesday, November 27, 2018, five members of the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly who belong to the APC, converged with a mace to commence impeachment proceedings against the Speaker of the House and Governor Emmanuel.
It is important to state here that 26 lawmakers make up the Akwa Ibom House of Assembly.
On November 19, Speaker of the House, Onofiok Luke, declared the seats of these 5 APC lawmakers vacant and promptly suspended them from parliament.
The 5 suspended lawmakers are: Nse Ntuen, Gabriel Toby, Victor Udofia, Idongesit Ituen and Otobong Ndem.
Speaker Luke suspended the lawmakers following the November 14 judgment of a Federal High Court, Uyo Division.
The court had thrown out the plea from Ntuen which sought to stop the Speaker from declaring his seat vacant for defecting to the PDP from the APC.
Punch reports that these 5 lawmakers arrived the Assembly complex early on the day, with thugs, heavily armed policemen and an improvised mace to commence impeachment proceedings against the governor.
They were also said to have chased out everyone around and manhandled the Press Secretary to the Speaker, Kufre Okon, as they headed into the complex for plenary.
“Trouble began at about 10.05am when the State Commissioner for Works, Mr Ephraim Inyangeyen, arrived the premises of the Assembly complex. He was harassed by the 5 APC lawmakers who swooped on him and repeatedly banged on his vehicle, asking him to leave the Assembly for them”, Punch writes.
Minutes later, Governor Emmanuel’s convoy powered its way into the complex to confront the lawmakers and their thugs.
According to Punch, “in the ensuing confusion, gunshots were fired by security personnel to scare away people. Journalists and Assembly workers who turned up early that morning and other visitors, scampered to safety, some jumped over the walls, while others took cover in the surrounding bush”.
Ntuen’s car was damaged as rampaging PDP youth made for the 5 lawmakers and chased them out of the complex.
Speaker of the House, Luke, who was expelled and ‘impeached’ by the group of 5 lawmakers said afterwards: “let nobody, party think they can intimidate us in Akwa Ibom State.
“The people of Akwa Ibom have shown solidarity as seen in what happened today. We will continue to stand with our governor. We will continue to make laws for the economic development of the state and for the betterment of the youth of the state.”
The Governor blamed Akpabio for the violence
Governor Emmanuel blamed Akpabio for the crisis and implicated Akwa Ibom Commissioner of Police, Musa Kimo.
Emmanuel said: “Let the commissioner that they just posted last weekend, let’s assume that he has finished his course, I want to call on the police and this evening, the police commissioner must be withdrawn; the head of the Quick Rapid Squad must be withdrawn so that we can maintain peace.
“I want to let the whole world know that Nigerians fought and gave their lives in this country so that we may enjoy democracy that we currently have today, but in Akwa Ibom State, due to the ambition of selfish people, democracy is being threatened.
“People that this state has given the opportunity to become what they never dreamt they could become. People that other people have given them the opportunity to become a commissioner for six years and a governor for eight years making it 14 years, want to destroy this state and our democracy.”
Akpabio denies involvement in crisis
In a statement issued on his behalf by his Special Assistant on Media, Aniete Ekong, Sen Akpabio said he had no hand in the violence.
He also told Governor Emmanuel to blame no one else but himself.
Akpabio’s statement reads in parts: “In his desperation to shop for who to blame and pass the buck, Governor Udom Emmanuel has blamed the security agencies in the State and Senator Akpabio has only become his latest victim. How can a state Governor accuse Senator Akpabio of being the brain behind the crisis, and at the same time declared that “the police should be held responsible for any breakdown of law and order in the state and not any other person.” Does it add up?
“It beats the imagination of right thinking individuals that a Governor could spew outright lies and falsehood in the face of the crisis in which he is a major sponsor. It is on record that the Governor personally led his security aides and thugs to the House of Assembly and supervised the manhandling of some members of the House of Assembly who were performing their constitutional duties.
“We advice Governor Emmanuel to brace up and face the challenges of his office, instead of looking for who to blame for his lacklustre performance in the last three and half years which have made Akwa Ibom people determined to democratically vote him and his party out in the election next year.”
What’s the situation in Akwa Ibom at the moment?
Everything appears to have returned to normal at the Assembly complex, with beaten and rough handled lawmakers now left to nurse their injuries at home.
However, you can be sure that the plots and battle for supremacy between the Emmanuel and Akpabio camps won't abate until after the elections are held in 2019.
The APC badly wants to add Akwa Ibom to its conquered kitty. The PDP has resolved not to allow the governing party have its way. This is essentially at the core of the violence being witnessed in Akwa Ibom State at the moment.
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