By; PATRICK TITUS, Uyo
Prior to July 18, 2022, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State was seen as a religion.
This is so, because since 1999 when democratic governance was enthroned in the country after the military regime, Akwa Ibom State has been ruled by PDP from the local government area councils to the state, occupying the state’s Hilltop Mansion in Uyo.
Also dominated by the PDP, are the 10 Federal Constituency seats at the House of Representatives and three Senatorial seats at the Senate uninterrupted.
Within these period of democratic dispensation, few out of other registered political parties who showed presence in the state as opposition, were not able to unseat PDP.
Efforts to gather followers to win political seats in the state through ballots were only ending in futility as PDP was strong and united to hold on to power.
For instance, in 2003, All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), which later changed to All People’s Party (APP) in 2011 and now merged with others to become the All Progressives Congress (APC), was the only opposition party that made presence and struggled to take over power from PDP through ballot, but has never won, except once or twice, where it took one out of the 26-member State House of Assembly seats.
Under the current dispensation, all the political elective offices from the 31 local government areas, State Assembly, governorship and the two chambers of the National Assembly are all occupied by PDP members while the opposition APC which in spite of having followers and structure across the state, is yet to win a seat at any level in the state.
This narrative has however, changed ahead of the 2023 general elections with both the ruling PDP and opposition APC losing members daily to the Young Progressives Party (YPP) which has birthed in the state with offices and members across the 31 local government areas.
Mostly hit by this wind of defection, best described by political analysts as ‘political tsunami’ is the PDP following the declaration of Senator (Obong) Bassey Albert a.k.a OBA for YPP along with thousands of followers. Senator Akpan, erstwhile 2023 governorship aspirant on the platform of PDP, is a member representing Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District at the Senate and Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream).
Problem started in PDP when the state governor, Mr Udom Emmauel allegedly handpicked and supported Pastor Umo Eno, his former Commissioner for Lands and Water Resources, to be his successor in office in 2023 against the will of some stakeholders of the party.
The development with support from the party’s state hierarchy, has however, denied other governorship aspirants on the platform of party a level playing ground to gather support and win domination during the governorship primary which took place at Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.
Worried by development, some of the aspirants including, Senator Akpan decided to boycott the exercise to seek redress in court, which never went in their favour, just as Pastor Umo Eno was declared and returned governorship candidate of the party with overwhelming number of votes cast.
In order to pursue his aspiration, Senator Akpan popularly known also in the state as OBA, took a daring step and resigned his membership from PDP on July 15, 2022.
He did that after over 20 years of being a loyal and committed member of the party, and whose platform, he has served the state and nation in various capacities.
He joined YPP at his Ibiono Ibom Ward 1 in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area of the state on July 18, 2022.
OBA stated that his reasons for leaving PDP followed sentiments, concerns and worries expressed by his supporters and people of goodwill on the need for him to take an immediate positive step to meet the hopes and expectations of becoming their governor in 2023, based on the principles of justice and equity, in order to achieve a better and prosperous Akwa Ibom State.
After being issued with a membership card in YPP, Senator Bassey Akpan was on Saturday, received officially into YPP at a reception rally held in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom Capital City.
No fewer than 10′,000 PDP members, including the member representing Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency, Hon Emmanuel Ukpong ‘Udo and the lawmaker representing Ikono State Constituency, Hon Asuquo Nana Udoh and thousands of others, left the PDP for the YPP during the rally.
The event which had a chieftain of YPP, Senator Ifeanyi Uba and the State Chairman, National Chairman, Comrade (Bishop) Emmanuel Amakiri, witnessed the state Chairman, Apostle Nyenime Andy formally receive Senator Akpan;, former Works Commissioner in the State and immediate past Chief of Staff to Governor Udom Emmanuel, Akparawa Ephraim Inyangeyen; former House of Representatives member, Rep. Emmanuel Ekon; a former Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mr. Samuel Efffanga alongside several others across the 31 local government areas into YPP.
At the event, the State Chairman, Apostle Andy, who was also the gubernatorial candidate of the party, announced that “he was stepping down for Senator Bassey Albert Akpan, popularly called OBA by his admirers.”
The carnival-like event, witnessed over 10,000 others from different parties including PDP, APC and others, announcing their mass defection to YPP, thus making the party the fastest growing party in the state.
The National Chairman of the party, Comrade (Bishop) Emmanuel Amakiri charged the people that YPP has come to stay in Akwa Ibom State.
He said that time has come for every young progressive Nigerian to take his destiny in his hand.
Amakiri also expressed pleasure that the masses have decided to rally round their popular son, OBA, to liberate Akwa Ibom from its current quagmire.
He described OBA as the best person that can take Akwa Ibom to its desired destination and urged the people to eschew and resist vote buying because it has brought Nigeria to its present misfortunes.
Addressing the sea of party faithful and supporters that thronged the Senator Akpan Mini-Sports Centre, venue of the event, Akpan said that he has offered himself as an aspirant in the upcoming primaries for substitution, following Andy’s withdrawal of his candidacy.
He assured the delegates that if given the chance at the primary, he will not disappoint the party, adding that as a governor, all the civil servants will be treated to social justice and welfare.
He also assured the people of Eket, Uyo and Ikot Ekpene Senatorial Districts of the state of fairness and equity in the next dispensation.
The Senator announced plans to work with others on the theme of “3Rs”, promising to “recover Akwa Ibom, reconcile Akwa Ibom back to God and reposition Akwa Ibom for greatness”.
Declaring that hope is by the corner, he said the next government will banish hunger, insecurity, hardship and injustice from Akwa Ibom.
OBA decried a situation the current government has refused to pay impress to the workers for over 18 months and owes over N18 billion in pensions.
While declaring that YPP will defeat PDP in all the units, OBA promised to clear gratuities and pensions as well as arrears of promotions as governor.
Mkpisong Ephraim Inyang, who spoke on behalf of other decampees, promised that together with OBA, “we will make the difference “.
Equally, a former Commissioner in the State, Hon. Samuel Efanga said with the turn out he witnessed, he was convinced that YPP was ready to take over power through the “ballot revolution”.
The event, which was preceded by the official unveiling of the state YPP secretariat and OBA’s campaign office both on Four Lanes, Uyo, had one the media handlers for APC in print, who witnessed the rally confessing to New Nigerian Newspapers in confidence, saying, “Infact it is today that I can believe that PDP is dead in Akwa Ibom.”
