Stakeholders of the People Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State have threatened to vote against the party if it tampers with the existing zoning arrangement in Uyo Senatorial District.
They are claiming that the senatorial ticket for 2015 has already been zoned to Uyo Federal Constituency where Uruan Local Government remains the only area that had not produced a senator since the commencement of the zoning arrangement 30 years ago.
The stakeholders are angry that even though they have already adopted former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Bassey Etim, from Uruan local government, the State governor, Chief Godswill Akpabio is now pushing for Obong Bassey Albert Akpan from Ibiono where the incumbent senator, Ita Enang comes from.
Albert had originally collected forms to contest the gubernatorial position of the state but was forced to step down following the insistence the state PDP on zoning the 2015 governorship post to Eket Senatorial District.
His stepping down to senatorial position has already received the endorsement of the National Working Committee (NWC) which noted in Abuja on Wednesday that it is in line with the zoning arrangement being encouraged by the national leadership.
“Akwa Ibom State PDP governorship aspirant, Obong Bassey Albert obeys NWC decision on zoning the 2015 governorship election to Eket Senatorial District, dumps gubernatorial ambition and picked form for senatorial election,” an unsigned statement from the PDP said.
However, rising from a meeting in Uyo, the Uyo Senatorial District Stakeholders Forum vowed to defend the original zoning arrangement to ensure that Uruan does not lose out in position.
Chairman of the Uyo Senatorial District PDP Stakeholders Forum, Bishop Asuquo Ekandem, told newsmen that what the stakeholders are asking for is equity and justice.
He threatened that if the existing zoning arrangement is violated and Uruan is not given the ticket, they will be forced to vote for another party as long as that party fields an Uruan indigene.
According to him, the area has been practising zoning for about 30 years, even as he insisted that there will be acrimony and absence of equity if zoning is abandoned at this point.
“We expect everybody to be fair minded, we expect everybody to observed agreed rules and procedures so that when it is the turn of another area, we will agreed to allow them to nominate people.
“We expect people to have integrity and abide by decisions that have been used and used successfully.”
He hoped that the PDP will do the right thing and “allow people to have their fair share of the cake,” Bishop Ekandem observed that it is necessary to remind the party to stick to the promise it has made.
“Don’t forget that people have options to vote for other candidates. If people decide this time they will not observe equity, they will not observe fairness, they will not stand by their integrity and agreements reached, people can always vote for some other persons.
“If they go and bring somebody from somewhere else, the people of Uyo can decide to vote for another party.” [myad]
