By Kenneth Jude
The desperation by leaders of the APC in Akwa Ibom to trade off the state to an avaricious cabal at the so-called centre is not only alarming but borders on demonism.
And to invite the President, Mr. Buhari, to the state again yesterday who was represented by his deputy, Yemi Osinbajo just weeks after flagging off their campaign here further shows the evil intention of this lot.
Osinbajo, a Professor of Law and Pastor who should show more tact and exhibit professorial decorum and pastoral restraint, scored an own goal yesterday when he made a remark that is typical of those that often come from the lying tongues of members of the APC here.
Osinbajo, at the meeting held with members of the party yesterday is quoted to have said: “We are all aware that your votes were cancelled. We will regain all those mandates that were stolen. It is not possible that our senator here standing could have lost. Godswill Akpabio is the duly elected Senator of the people.
“I can assure you that we will get back all our Mandates, we have the evidence and the lawyers.”
Not a few people have hit out at the Vice President for stooping so low as to have uttered such words, especially the line he said: “It is not possible that our senator here standing could have lost.”
By that singular statement, Osinbajo has made many to raise questions over his claim to pastorship. For one, he ought to know that there is nothing impossible in human affairs, more so on election where winners and losers emerge.
One is aware that the man who was roundly defeated at the poll is the one telling the world he cannot lose election hence the reason the virus is getting hold of many. But one expected Osinbajo, with his foundation academically, not to jump on the bandwagon of those who are still being misled into thinking that Akpabio was rigged out. To use the word impossible, Osinbajo disappointed those of who respect him given the air of disarming calmness that hover around him in speech and composure. This one, it bears repeating, was off the mark, Sir.
Away from Osinbajo’s avoidable faux pass, the visit of yesterday was, apparently meant, among other things, to console the party for their crushing defeat in the last election where they were comprehensively trounced as widely expected by sane minds. It was meant to encourage them to forge ahead for the task of March 9 in spite of their failure. It was also meant to emphasise the need for members of the party to be united as they head to the polls having been so fragmented by internal crisis that has since become one of the party’s cherished trademarks.
But alas, it turned out to be a meeting of childish lamentation and satanic posturing where barefaced lies were churned out pathologically by leaders of the APC in the state. In their well rehearsed lamentation, the APC, rather than tell the world how incapacitated they are to win election here, resorted to accusing the Akwa Ibom State INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Mike Igini of bias.
It is the same party that have failed, in all their evil plots to remove Igini for insisting on credible polls, to show any evidence of the man being either partisan or incapable of carrying out the duty assigned him. They’ve been crying even before the poll, and they’ve continued to cry without any shred of shame. And they took it to the world last night.
At the meeting, speaker after speaker hammered on the issue of removing Igini from his Post. watching the show of shame made one wonder yet again the desperation by the APC federal government in collusion with hurting politicians from this part to trade off Akwa Ibom State without recourse to the interest and desires of the people.
The lies told by APC members in Akwa Ibom State to Osinbajo and the diminutive, loquacious and hyperactive national chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, made one throw up. In fact, the lies were blood-curdling and utterly bewildering.
How can a party be so afraid of a free and fair election? Why clamour for Igini’s removal just because the man has vowed to conduct a credible poll in the state? Why is APC hell bent on removing Igini? Why does the federal government have so much interest in taking Akwa Ibom? Is Akwa Ibom the only South South state in the Niger Delta region? Why can’t Buhari, Osinbajo, Oshiomhole and the like take their treacherous message of connecting to the centre to Rivers State or Cross River? Why Akwa Ibom?
When, since 1999, has an opposition party fared well in Akwa Ibom State? In 2015 when Buhari defeated Jonathan, how many votes did he get here? Which South South state is governed by the APC save Edo State? Is it that the South West states annexed by the APC is not enough for the party? Must they bring their ill intention here? If the party is so satisfied that it now has the South West region in its kitty, Akwa Ibomites are happier and more satisfied that they are on the side of PDP. It has been the culture since 1999, and not for once have the people clamoured for the “ONE chance and suffering-ridden change the party is dubiously wanting to bring here.
Having never made any meaningful impact in a state that is undoubtedly a PDP dominated enclave, the APC planned to rig the last polls in a manner that would have made Satan cringe in disbelief. But in discovering that the man in charge at INEC won’t play ball, they launched a vicious campaign to oust him. Never has a party been this desperate. Again, aware that in a free and fair poll, citizens and residents alike will vote massively for peace, progress and prosperity that Gov. Udom Emmanuel represents, they have resorted to their hackneyed Igini must go lamentation.
It’s shocking that rather than campaign and canvass for votes, the APC is on the streets, recruiting security agents, begging Abuja forces to help them rig election in Akwa Ibom having known that there is absolutely no way it can win election in the state. That’s why they want an umpire they can pay more money so that election can be concluded in three hours and their candidate who is only popular on billboards will be announced winner (God forbid) against the collective wishes and aspirations of the people.
The APC leaders in the state should stop disgracing and embarrassing themselves. They should rather copy from the PDP who have been going house to house campaigning for votes. Seeking help from Oshiomhole who couldn’t deliver his state, Edo to APC in the Presidential election and Osinbajo who lost his unit is like a child who gets beaten by his match but keeps going home to cry to his father for assistance.
The party knows they have no structure here. They know their portion is failure. That’s why they are clutching onto anything, by hook or crook, to forcefully have their way. Having ran out of ideas on how to convince a people who showed in the last election that they stand rejected along with their brooms of servitude, they now say the state “must” be connected to the centre! What’s in this so-called centre that the party desperately wants to connect the state to? Did the state cease to exist since 2015 for not being in tune party-wise with the government at the centre? Is Akwa Ibom the only state not governed by the party in charge at a largely discredited centre? Why this madness?
The APC, rather than chase shadows, should prepare for elections the same way other parties are doing. Crying, lamenting and seeking inordinate help as though babies from external forces with not help their ill-fated course.
Akwa Ibom is better off under the leadership of Mr. Udom Emmanuel and the Peoples Democratic Party. And the people have already demonstrated this at the National Assembly and Presidential elections. Come March 9, they want to keep the culture. They want to retain a governor that has brought a breathe of fresh air to governance.
APC and its deceptive, thoroughly demoralised leaders have no space here. They should have known this long before now. Akwa Ibom is safe, secure, and of course, on the path of greatness with Governor Udom Emmanuel – a refined gentleman, visionary leader with a knack for excellence blessed with the poise, gait of a transformational 21st century governor.
