BY TONY NYONG
LIKE in many states of the country, the parties’ primaries in Akwa Ibom State were riddled by accusations of betrayal, plots of humiliation, scheming and outright denial of tickets to some deserving aspirants. Currently, however the tension that greeted the primaries is no longer mounting as was the case few days to the nominations.

The primaries, no doubt left sour taste in the mouth of aggrieved politicians. As expected while the winners are rejoicing, the losers are crying foul. While some have taken the outcome of the primaries in good fate, others have gone a step further to gamble on fortune.

The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was the party to watch as the gladiators were mostly the recurring names in the political lexicon of the state. The State House of Assembly primary was the first baptism of fire to serving PDP members. Nearly all of them lost except the incumbent Speaker. It was truly their own judgement day. Indeed it was the intervention of some heavy weights that enabled five others to scale the hurdle.

In the case of the National Assembly, two of the three Senators failed and the only one that won was under a consensus arrangement. Senator Effiong Dickson Bob, Chairman, Senate Services Committee, protested and immediately left the nomination grounds to Abuja to register his petition, while Mrs. Eme Ekaete also later protested.

The House of Representative nominations also took a funny twist, when only Dr. Ini Udoka, from Ikono/ Ini Federal Constituency scaled through, with all others, including Eseme Eyibo, a very vibrant member failing to their utter surprise. Udoka won as a result of the consensus arrangement that was done in the area.

Incumbent Governor Godswill Akpabio, Engr. Frank Okon, former Special Assistant to Governor Victor Attah, and Hon. Imo Udoh, a former special adviser, were the contenders in the PDP gubernatorial contest and the contest was conducted in the Uyo Township Stadium.

In the first contest, Engr. Frank Okon, and Hon. Imo Udoh were not allowed to stand  by the panel sent from Abuja because, according to the panel, they were not cleared. In that contest, Governor Godswill Akpabio emerged the winner, while Frank Okon had three votes, with Imo Udoh, going home with nil.

A re-run ordered by the party hierarchy for the Gubernatorial nominations on grounds of a petition filed by Engr. Frank Okon was again conducted in the same stadium and Governor Akpabio came first with 2,272 votes. Hon. Imo Udoh had one vote, while Frank Okon had nil. Currently a court case is pending on the PDP guber primaries. It is to be seen if the matter would not be settled in the usual manner such political issues are handled.

The complaints trailing the primaries led to alignments and re-alignments by the politicians with a host of them caught in defection and cross-defection, a situation that is bound to influence the electoral outlook of the state after the April polls.

To face the election as a united front, the PDP has embarked on reconciliation moves and seeking to use internal arrangements to assuage the aggrieved members.

All doubts concerning the candidature of  Akpabio in the April 2011 gubernatorial election were conclusively cleared on Monday as he was listed as the standard flag bearer of the PDP for Akwa Ibom in the list of candidates published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) The Governor was listed alongside his running mate, Obong Nsima Ekere.

With the development, it is certain that Akpabio would contest the election against 10 other gubernatorial candidates who were similarly listed.

These are Senator John AkpanUdoedehe of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Group Captain Enwang Sam Enwang  of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Mr. Larry Esin of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), and Comrade David Ekanem of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

Others are Mr. Ibanga Sunday Ibanga of the Progressive Action Congress (PAC), Obong Edet Iwang Udoh of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) Mr. Emmanuel Asuquo Nkereuwem of the African Republican Party (ARP), Mr. Francis Umoh of the National Reformation Party (NRP), Mr. Bassey Effiong Ikot Osin of the Social Democratic Mega Party (SDMP) and Mr. Daniel Uko of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

The list also shows that the PDP is contesting all the three Senate seats, nine of the 10 House of Representatives’ and all 26 House of Assembly seats. No candidate is listed for the House of Representatives’ seat of Uyo/Uruan/Ibesikpo Asutan/Nsit Atai Federal Constituency where two aspirants, Mr. Ekere Afia and Dr. Michael Enyong are still contending.

The ACN follows with candidates for all Senate and House of Representatives slots and 25 of the 26 House of Assembly seats.

The ANPP has candidates for all Senate, all House of Representatives’ and 22 House of Assembly seats, while the CPC is fielding candidates for two Senate, two House of Representatives’ and 17 House of Assembly seats.

APGA is contesting two Senate, three House of Representatives’ and 12 House of Assembly seats, with PAC fielded candidates for two House of Representatives and 10 House of Assembly seats while the ARP is contesting 12 positions.

The NRP, PPA, Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), the Citizens Popular Party (CPP) and the National Conscience Party (NCP) are contesting one seat each.