Akpabio`s & Etiebet anti – party statements: By Dr. Jerome Jiga

Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Chief (Dr.) Godswill Akpabio, and a member of PDP Board of Trustees, Chief Don Etiebet, made anti-PDP statements at the gala night which Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State gave in Awka in honour of Akpabio and his reported large entourage from Akwa Ibom. Akpabio was in Awka with a retinue of supporters who came in so many vehicles that included many luxury buses, for the purpose of receiving an honourary doctorate degree of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) during the institution's 8th convocation ceremony that took place on 21st

November, 2009. What a waste of State resources. As published in the Daily Independent newspaper of Wednesday, November 25, 2009 on page 7, governor Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State campaigned directly for APGA candidate (Peter Obi) on the Anambra 2010 gubernatorial election in preference to his Party's (PDP) candidate. Both Akpabio's and Etiebet's campaign comments also were against the successive PDP governments in Anambra State that Peter Obi took over from. Akpabio who suggested that before 2004, prior to Peter Obi coming on the scene as the governor of Anambra State, the State was a failed State, said he, to Governor Obi before a teeming crowd: “…..something struck me that Anambra State was a failed State in Nigeria before you became a governor. But with you in governance, who have been successful in business, things are changing for the better. People can see the positive changes. One can see that God has taken special interest in the affairs of Anambra. You have brought life to this State. You have rewritten the history of politics and good governance”.

By the same token the PDP Board of Trustee member, Chief Don Etiebet, who was among Akpabio's entourage was quoted in the Daily Sun of Tuesday, November 24, 2009, on page 7 as saying that: “….the landmark achievements that have upgraded quality of life of the (Anambra) people, restored peace, stability and harmonious co-existence in spite of political differences and therefore (Obi) has distinguished himself and established a model leadership that was worthy of emulation”.

It should be noted, as reported in the newspaper, that it was at the same gathering that a group going by name “Peter Obi Volunteer Corps” and headed by one Comrade Alfa Emeka, made scatting and disparaging statements on flag-bearers of other Political Parties, including PDP wherein Alfa said that the State is lucky to have been blessed with “people-oriented governor”.

Ironically, the reportage of Etiebet was contained as a joint-story published by the Daily Sun under reference, entitled “As Etiebet, Others Rally Support for Obi” and another entitled “Soludo, a Colossal Failure – Obi”. The latter (story) castigated PDP's candidate Chuma Soludo; and falsely gave credit to Peter Obi for actions and projects which included those which later revealed were not made possible or executed by his administration.

From what was read in the media concerning the gala night, it was a sort of campaign ground for Peter Obi's second term; PDP Governor Akpabio and PDP Board of Trustee member Chief Etiebet were there and shamelessly lent their full support and testified to things, one is sure, the duos may not have known; a situation many people saw as real anti-party activity. So one is only waiting and watching to see how the PDP would handle such a case.

Dr. Jiga wrote from 7 Shehu Close, Zaria, Kaduna State