Who Is Disturbed Over Akpabio’s Uncommon Supports For Jonathan?
If there is any leader that have expressed and demonstrated uncommon supports for Jonathan's Government and his re-election bid, it is the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Chief God swill Akpabio, the Iberedem Ibibio. Unlike some leaders who would support a particular candidate in anticipation of what they would gain, Chief Akpabio has demonstrated in words and in-deeds that his political philosophy embedded in a popular concept known as “Akpabiosm” is for the advancement of our fledgling democracy and overall development of the nation.
It will be recalled that Akwa Ibom State is one of the first states in Nigeria that openly asked President Jonathan to contest the Presidential Election in 2011. After the President heeded the call to stand for election, Akwa Ibom state is the only state that organized the mother of all rallies for the President in Uyo in 2011. During the said Presidential Election, the State gave 1, 165, 629 votes representing 94.58 percent to President Jonathan.
Despite all the material and manpower supports for the President, the Iberedem Ibibio never sought to become a godfather or a power broker in Abuja, instead, he carried on with his uncommon transformation programme in the Land of Promise. It was when the party needed a stabilizing personality that will unify the party when it was at crossroads that the uncommon transformer was elected to lead the PDP Governors Forum as Chairman; a position he has demonstrated to the world that he is capable through various far reaching resolutions of disputes and sagacious sense of judgments.
Similarly, throughout the processes that led to the Presidential Declaration by Dr. Good Luck Jonathan till this very moment of active campaigns, Chief Akpabio have been one of the linchpins in the President's re-election campaign bid. He has not only supported the President openly, but he has also supported organizations working and mobilizing supports for President Jonathan's Government as well as his re-election bid. In fact, he is a bulwark among Jonathanians.
At a recently organized event at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Governor Akpabio while speaking urged lovers of the President to identify with any name being used in canvassing votes for Dr. Jonathan. He told the large audience that when he was a young man, he canvassed votes for former President Alhaji Shehu Shagari when he was running for election even though he never met Shagari in person, but today, as fate would have it, he a two term governor.
Speaking specifically to the House of Assembly candidates who were invited from the 36 states of the Federation, the governor urged them to show true commitments to President Jonathan's re-election bid, saying if they should work for the President sincerely from their hearts without asking the electorates to vote for one candidate in one election and vote for another candidate in other election, the President have already won the race.
He also asked them to show strong belief and supports for the PDP. According to him, PDP is like a lion and whoever must follow a lion must act like a lion. He asked rhetorically, “How can you be led by a lion and be afraid of goat?” Urging them not to listen to the propaganda by the opposition, saying propaganda has failed them because Nigerians have realized that the country is too big to be ruled by lies.
At another event dubbed PDP Governors Forum Interactive Session with the Media and Civil Society Organization held in Lagos with the theme “Sustenance of Democratic Values and National Development”, the Uncommon Transformer berated the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) by asking “Who are the people talking about corruption?” “Who are the financiers of Buhari?” “How did they make their money?” He concluded by saying “Any change that is not planned will lead to disaster.” He further asked: “Why is it that the APC have found it extremely difficult to commend the President for winning the war against Boko Haram even when the National Assembly has done that?” While assuring Nigerians that there would be no further shift of elections, the Iberedem Ibibio said: “National Development is one of the expectations of democratic governance, adding that under President Good Luck Jonathan, Nigeria have witnessed uncommon commitment to
internal democracy.”
From all the statements or quotes from the Uncommon Transformer, one can deduce that it is only a man with uncommon love for the President that can do uncommon things or show uncommon commitments for an uncommon President. So, it will not be unexpected if he is being tongue lashed or targeted for denigration for expressing and demonstrating uncommon supports for President Jonathan.
It is also good to state here that why they are against the Iberedem Ibibio even when it is an exercise in futility because there is nothing a bite of a snake can do to the back of a tortoise is because they cannot accuse him of non performance. If the blind man in the Land of Promise cannot see uncommon transformation, definitely, he is feeling the vibes. And like I said in a piece I did to celebrate the 52nd birthday of the governor which I entitled: “Celebrating Akpabio at 52”, I said if other governors had done or are doing what Chief Akpabio have done and is still doing, by recognizing the needs of the people and meeting them upfront or systematically, nobody would be complaining of bad governance in the country. Therefore, nobody should be disturbed because of the uncommon supports coming from the Uncommon Transformer.
Comrade Edwin Uhara is a Journalist and Public Affairs Commentator based in Abuja.
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