Abandonment of tripod political appointments, dating back 27 years to the creation of Akwa Ibom State – which buttered the bread of the three major ethnic groups: Ibibio, Anang, and Oron – has left Oron dazed.
Oron is shouting from the rooftop for justice, amid suggestion for it to think outside the box, in a miasma of ethnic politics stoked by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) adopting a new zoning formula.
Akwa Ibom has three Senatorial Districts: Uyo, Ikot Ekpene, and Eket.
But before now, the state’s politics thrived on rotating power among the three major ethnic groups – Ibibio (the majority, spread across 19 councils), Anang (second, eight councils), and Oron (third, five councils).
Ibibio is in Uyo Senatorial District, Anag (Ikot Epene), and Oron (Eket).
From Attah to Akpabio
In 1999, Victor Attah, an Ibibio, was elected Governor. He was succeeded by Godswill Akpabio, an Anang. Oron thought it was its turn in 2015. But the PDP has zoned the ticket to Eket, which shares its senatorial zone with Ibibio and other ethnic groups.
The Ibibio have absolute control in Uyo Senatorial District, and also a sizeable population in Eket, where Oron is part of the district. The Anang are mainly in Ikot Ekpene.
The new zoning arrangement puts Oron in disadvantage since the 2015 contest is open to other aspirants from the zone, including the Ibibio who had their shot between 1999 and 2007.
Oron’s handicap
Despite Oron having the third largest population after Anang and Ibibio, its candidate may stand no chance where other ethnic groups field candidates.
Oron leaders accuse Akpabio of being behind their marginalisation. They recalled that Attah employed ethnic balancing in his administration, choosing his deputy from Anang, while the State Assembly Speaker, Nelson Effiong, is from Oron.
Oron folks said Attah, an Ibibio, served out his tenure and handed over to Akpabio, an Anang, who schemed out Oron by substituting the Ibibio, Anang, and Oron tripod for senatorial district, knowing that Oron does not have the numerical strength to win a governorship ballot.
They also pointed out that the Oron are not in the top three positions in Akpabio’s government.
Learn from Annang, Ibibio hardliners tell Oron
But some Ibibio hardliners have asked Oron to accept its minority status and forget the governorship in the 2015 election.
“Oron are a minority in Akwa Ibom State and that is a fact,” wrote Nsima Akpan, former Onna Council Chairman, in a comment posted on Ibom Forum, an online discussion group hoisted by Yahoo!
“It is unrealistic for the Oron to expect to win any election in a democracy that is based on majority vote. Oron ethnic mantra alone will not win the governorship for an Oronian.
“The Oron have done a very poor job of trying to convince the majority Ibibio to part with their votes and invest them with the votes to win the coveted prize.
“The argument that it is Oron’s turn to produce the governor in 2015 is puerile and not feasible.
“It would serve the interest of the Oron better if they show greater commitment in their conduct and comment to respecting the Ibibio majority and dialoguing with them for more inclusiveness for Oron people rather than the current grandstanding and empty braggadocio.”
“They should borrow a leaf from Annang people who, in 2007 had a dialogue which led to the much talked about power shift.
“The argument by some Oron politicians that Oron people should join the attempt by some Uyo Ibibios to truncate the well-established zoning arrangement in the state is a clear case of trying to destroy what you cannot get. It is also a product of poor thinking.
“The pro (zoning) are a minority. In a democracy, they can only make noise; they can’t make power.”
Akpan’s comment, amid distrust among Ibibio, Oron, and Ekid in Eket Senatorial District, is perhaps the most critical against Oron from a high-ranking figure in the zone, and may very well represent the frustrations of Ibibio and Ekid against Oron.
Take of Oron Nation Group
A member of Oron Nation Group, Ita Awak, former Information Commissioner in the Attah administration, told DETAILS newspaper: “I very much doubt their sincerity…. I find it very difficult to ‘see’ or be persuaded to ‘believe’ that the current cream of political leaders of Ekid would sincerely support Oron to pick the 2015 governorship ticket.”
The only way Ekid and Ibibio leaders can show sincerity to Oron, he argued, is “to publicly proclaim that power must shift expressly to the Oron ethnic group in our senatorial district.
“If we misadventure into helping the Ibibio of our district to get the governorship in 2015, it is going to take another 24 solid years before the contest rotates to the ‘turn’ of our district.”
Counter argument
Former State House of Assembly Speaker, Bassey Essien, advised Oron to embrace other constituencies in the senatorial district, because “it’s premature and funny for any of the federal constituency in Eket Senatorial District to arrogate to itself the right to produce the next governor. It is myopic and primitive.
“Let the Oron man look at the issue of zoning from the perspective of Eket Senatorial District because to do otherwise will amount to narrow mindedness and in-fighting which is not good for the collective interest of the district.”
Former state PDP Vice Chairman, Mbong Mbong (from Eket), urged the Oron to prepare to produce a senator in 2015 and forget the governorship which he said is meant for Eket Federal Constituency.
He told DETAILS that “the third leg tripod in Akwa Ibom State does not exist because there are other ethnic nationalities like Eket, Ibeno, Andoni of Eastern Obolo that make up the integral part of the whole.
“So, for Oron nation to use the tripod issue for its agitation smacks of ignorance.”
Final Pitch
However, Oron Nation Group Moderation, Edet Bassey, insisted that Ekid and Ibibio should not hold Oron people responsible for the “careless” statements made by individuals, as Oron understands the importance of good relationship with other ethnic groups.
“We want an Akwa Ibom governor from Oron, and not an Oron governor.
“Both the Senate position and the governorship can come to Oron because Oron hasn’t produced a senator for so many years. Since we can’t take the two positions, we prefer to go for the governorship,” Bassey told DETAILS.
PDP governorship aspirants include
• Akpan Udoedeghe, former Deputy Governor (Ibibio, Uyo Senatorial District).
• Umana Umana, former Secretary to the State Government, SSG (Ibibio, Uyo).
• Emmanuel Udom, current SSG (Eket, Eket Senatorial District).
• Benjamin Okoko (Eket).
• Assam Assam (Eket).
• Nsima Ekere, former Deputy Governor (Ibibio, Eket).
• Jerome Isangedihi, Michael Onofiok, Larry Esin, Effiong Usin, Nya Ebito, Asuquo Okpo, and Ekpenyong Ntekim (all from Oron, Eket).
