As a build up to the October Local Government election in Akwa Ibom State, there is disquiet in Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area as the opposition All Progressive Congress weekend zoned the championship position to Ikot Ekpene Urban Clan.
The APC made a strong political statement when it summoned all it’s stakeholders to a meeting at the residence of Chief Sunny Ibanga in Utu Ikot Ekpenyong.
The meeting had in attendance stalwarts of the party including Chief Sunny Ibanga, Pastor Sunny Ibuot, SA to the Senate President on Protocol, Mr. Kufre Okure, Chapter Chairman, Ward Chairmen, chairmanship and councillorship aspirants among other members.
At the meeting, the APC declared that the party has zoned the championship position to Ikot Ekpene Urban Clan while councillorship aspirants picked their forms.
Meanwhile, the action of the APC has given some PDP faithful some concerns. This is because the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is allegedly entangled in a zoning quagmire which is yet to be resolved.
While the Amanyam people, though the minority with 29,000 voting strength are holding on to zoning which favours them going by the fact that the last occupant of the chairmanship seat was from Urban Clan, the Urban Clan being the majority with 62,000 voting strength are calling for mainstreaming in view of the fact that the House of Assembly seat and commissionership are occupied by Amanyam people.
They argue that the majority Urban Clan will be left with nothing in the event that position of chairman goes the other way.
Many political pundits see the move by APC in Ikot Ekpene to zone the Chairmanship position to the majority Urban Clan as a well calculated attempt to reap from any eventual mistake of the PDP.
A highly placed politician who does not want his name on print lamented that the APC in giving its ticket to the majority Urban Clan may ride to victory at the polls in an event the PDP does otherwise.
