The Ikono Local Government Chapter of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has distant itself from what it termed “purported claim and counter claims and publications regarding zoning/rotation of political offices in the area.”
According to a statement signed and made available to our news desk by its Chapter Chairman, Chief Etim Inyang, the party says “the recent purported communiqué issued by a certain group of Ikono elders endorsed by three elders hereby declared null and void and of no effect whatsoever. The party dissociates itself from such publications and announcement.”
“The Ikono Chapter of the PDP attempted in 2014 to revalidate the zoning and rotation of political offices in Ikono, which has been abused and violated overtimes by setting up a 9-man committee headed by Elder Joseph Udoh to handle this important exercise. The committee submitted its report to the party and all effort put up by the party to ratify the committee’s recommendations had been abortive.”
The statement said the party in Ikono does not have any zoning or rotation formula for political office since every effort to install same was destroyed by the people agitating today for zoning, adding that “the party therefore viewed actions of some people as a serious aberration which has damaged the image of the party in Ikono.”
“It is on record that between 1999 and 2015, the PDP in Ikono had done justice to the three geo-political zones of Ikono by allowing the position of the Chairman and other political position to rotate amongst the three zones. The party is aware of the gimmicks of the evil minded and desperate individuals who have administered oath (Mbiam) to certain persons; shared political offices namely: Council Chairman, Vice Chairman, Councillors, Supervisors and PDP Chapter and Ward Executive positions etc amongst themselves without regards to the party, the platform with which they intend to actualize their ambition.”
The statement condemned in strong term the boastful tendencies of those “elders who cannot even deliver their units but have claimed in several quarters to be in control of Governor Udom Emmanuel’s government and has vowed to use it to achieve their selfish desires irrespective of the feeling and position of the generality of the people of Ikono.”
The statement further appealed to party faithful in Ikono to remain calm and continue in their support to the present administration, stressing that “the party shall convene an enlarge meeting to accommodate and articulate the views, ideas and positions of the entire members in Ikono local government area”
