President Muhammadu Buhari’s former Minister of Petroleum has abandoned his support for APC presidential candidate Bola Tinubu in favor of PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar.
Etiebet’s group also rejected the APC’s senatorial candidate for Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, Godswill Akpabio, and blamed him for their rejection of the ruling party after pledging unwavering support for Akpabio’s PDP rival, Emmanuel Enoidem.
Etiebet has spoken out against Akpabio’s candidacy, blaming him for the ensuing feud in the APC’s state chapter, saying it was the turn of the Abak-5 communities, who have yet to produce a senator since 1963.
Recall that the Federal High Court of Abuja had cleared former Niger Delta Minister Akapbio to run for senator.
Etiebet contended that Akapbio was forced to accept the ticket despite the fact that he did not participate in the June 2022 senatorial primary election because he was involved in the presidential primary election.
They emphasized that DIG Udom Ekpoudom (Rtd) was duly elected as the APC senatorial candidate and that allowing Udom to fly the APC ticket would have represented equity for the Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika Federal Constituency.
According to a statement made available to journalists on Sunday by the media unit of the Enoidem campaign organization, the decision to support Atiku and others in the PDP was made following a coalition meeting involving the APC, PDP, NNPP, YPP, LP, and others from Abak, Etim Ekpo, Ika, Ukanufun, and OrukAnam Local Government Areas.
He said the decision was that the “2023 senatorial seat for Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District must go to Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika Federal Constituency which has not produced a Senator since 1963.”
The statement noted;
That all Abak-5 community eligible voters are enjoined to vote for Emmanuel Enoidem of the PDP irrespective of their party affiliations in the community in the forthcoming senatorial election of February 25, 2023, for equity, justice, fairness and brotherliness because it is Abak Federal Constituency’s turn to produce the next Senator having not had any since 1963.
The leaders of the Abak-5 community led by, Don Etiebet, are enjoined to reach out to their allies in Ikot Ekpene and Ikono/Ini Federal constituencies for their understanding and support to vote for Enoidem to win the senate seat of the Akwa Ibom Northwest Senatorial District.
But in a swift reaction, the director, Media, and Publicity of Senator Godswill Akpabio’s Campaign Organisation, Joe Iniudo, dismissed the purported endorsement, noting that;
I have not been able to make findings to know who and who are members of the coalition that you are talking about.
I think that coalition is close to being illusionary because the people that are expected to be stakeholders in Abak-5, I am not sure participated in that exercise.
I have had cause to speak to a former member of the House of Representatives and he said he was not there.
I have also spoken with a former local government chairman and other political stakeholders who were not there.
So, who are the members of this coalition? I think that somebody somewhere is just trying to give meaning to something that is really not in existence, he added.