Show of Shame:Umana Hires Abuja Touts to Attack Own Party

In a move likened to that of a modern day Brutus, and as part of a grand design to truncate a legitimate party structure in Akwa Ibom State, some ill-advised politicians of the Peoples Democratic Party, have rented an Abuja crowd to protest against the party leadership in Abuja.

The misguided political gladiators led by Chief Don Etiebet had earlier addressed a press conference in Uyo on Monday, in which they lampooned Governor Akpabio over his advice to youths, and had also challenged the party leadership in the state

Immediately after publicly challenging the legitimacy of the party, the gladiators had rushed to the party secretariat to consult the Paul Ekpo –led exco on their decision to float Mr Umana Umana to contest for Akpabio's position in the next elections.

Paul Ekpo had expressed surprise that people could slap the party in one hand and turn around to consult the party for support, they followed that up with hiring of Abuja indigenes to protest in Abuja.

In Abuja on Wednesday, the rented crowd carried some placards like “Paul Ekpo Must Go”, We Don't Want Zoning”, No to Imposition,” among others, making people to wonder whether zoning was no longer in the PDP's constitution.

Commenting on the matter, the State Chairman of the Party, Chief Paul Ekpo said it was curious that an Akwa Ibom matter, which had never elicited any form of protest in Akwa Ibom was witnessing Abuja residents carrying placards and demonstrating against a party leadership elected in Akwa Ibom State.

He maintained that on Monday those who addressed the press and spoke against the leadership of the party came to the party secretariat in Uyo for a consultation and mentioned those who came to include Obong Umana Umana, former SSG; Otuekong Don Etiebet, a Board of Trustees member and many others.

Chief Ekpo maintained that on that occasion, they did not betray any grievance against the party leadership and described as unfortunate and strange the recourse to asking Abuja indigenes to change the course of history of Akwa Ibom State.

He posited that the party had an internal mechanism for addressing grievances and if any party member had any problem in Akwa Ibom he or she should have exploited same and not come to Abuja and hire an admixture of miscreants and rabble rousers to dent the image of the party before a global audience.

He further stated the architect of what he described as "a show of shame" were selfish politicians who placed their self-interests above the common good of the party and should be sanctioned for embarrassing the party.

In a separate comment, Senator Anietie Okon said the aggrieved stalwarts acted out of desperation knowing that they were very unpopular in Akwa Ibom State and could not have been able to muster any kind of protest without the ire of the masses.

He stated that democracy was localized in geopolitical spheres and you cannot come to Abuja to protest about the leadership of the party in Akwa Ibom State. He said the entire charade was reminiscent of the kind of crowd renting the country used to witness during the Abacha years.

Essien Ndueso
Uyo

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Articles by Essien Ndueso