Ifere Paul|27 January 2016|6:00am
Over 600 people from Nko, Mkpani, Agoi Ekpo defected to the All Progressive Congress-APC over the weekend. The decampees led by Brigadier General Ukagu decamped to the APC in what the Brigadier described as an excellent performance of the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration.
Brigadier Enang Ukagu said that it is only a good man and a good president that can appoint two persons from the same village into his executive without bias. The Brigadier said that Navy Admiral Ibok Ette Egwe Ibas was made Chief of Naval Staff. And on top of that, Honorable Minister of Niger Delta Affairs was nominated and confirmed amidst speculations. So, to me, the President made my village proud and put us in the national limelight. He went further to say that "it is only the APC that has seen a person worthy in Yakurr LGA and in fact Cross River State. Don't forget too that the lady who was appointed as Head of Service of the Federation is from CRS. Don't forget too that Chief Okoi Obono-obla, an APC chieftain was made to head the delegation from Abuja to Calabar. That is another of our illustrious son. And PMB is going to get him something as a son".
"Sometimes fathers allows their children behind to honor others first", Brigadier Enang Ukagu concluded.
Nko, a strong hold of the PDP in the last elections has Honorable Ikpi Akpama Akusen as the LGA Chairman. Akusen who was said to have gone to the Honorable Minister of Niger Delta Affairs to beg for forgiveness for fighting Usani Usani all those years, may be nursing a move to APC to save his second term as Council Chairman.
In an interview with Efoli Otoh Esuku who was one of the decampees, Efoli said that "only a blind man will hear of the latest political happenings in Nko and still be in the PDP". Efoli Esuku is known as one powerful supporter of Senator Prince Bassey Otu. He reiterated that, "now is the time to prove doubting thomases wrong".
"I prayed for this day to come. And hopefully, the political heavyweights in Yakurr APC will reconcile their differences to move APC forward. Here in my community, I have always been persecuted by my brothers and sisters I supported someone else other than Usani. Well, it is a happy thing that I am now a part and parcel of that family. And like what Usani the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs has said, we have to keep our differences for the common good of the party", Esuku was qouted.
Young and women who had until now been the force of the PDP election victory in the village all decamped to the APC. Brigadier Enang Ukagu is said to be one of Governor Ben Ayade's staunch supporter until his decamping. Ukagu has had a younger brother who became a caretaker chairman of the LGA, and presently, one of his relation is a supervisory councilor for Ukpawen/Nkpolo Ward. The decampees, yielding brooms and chanting songs of victory, said that the next Council election is going to be tough for governor Ayade to manipulate.
With this decamping and a no successful performance of the LGA Chairman, one can conclude that PDP in Nko is buried. And it will be a big blow, if APC or Labour Party takes over the CRSHA slot which Hon Eteng Jones Williams lost at the Appeal Court.
Can Honorable Minister Usani Usani Uguru Usani pull a hat trick in the next CRHA election? Only time will tell.
But for Brigadier and his supporters across the State, APC is a platform that will be larger than life.
Ifere Paul
Is an Environmental Activist & Public Policy Analyst
