By Bassey Eyo
Determined to fortify his political base ahead of the 2019 general
election, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel has struck a deal with
Akwa Ibom NDDC Commissioner, Mr Sam Frank to contest the Onna House of
Representatives seat.
The
agreement known in government circles as “The Onna Accord” will see the
APC federal Commissioner supporting the Governor in exchange of having
the Governor endorse him as the sole/consensus candidate for House of
Reps come 2019.
According to a source, Udom who is very desperate to stop the alarming rate of PDP members defecting to the APC, was advised to form an alliance with the NDDC boss since both of them are from Onna LGA as such cross party alliance was necessary in realising the Onna Accord.
“Yes it is true that the Governor has endorsed the Akwa Ibom NDDC Commissioner for Reps 2019 but I can tell you the deal may be dead already as the state Commissioner for Works, Ephraim Inyang who also hails from Onna and allegedly the Governor’s right hand man is strongly against the Udom/Frank partnership.
Ephraim’s stance is that Dr Frank is not a politician and it will be a waste of political capital to allow such a deal go throw when it is certain that 2019 will be a very tough election”.
The 2019 House of Reps ambition of Dr Frank is already causing crisis within the APC in the state.
Some APC members said it was wrong and too early for the Commissioner to enter into such an alliance with the PDP to undermine his party ahead of the next general election.
They said the Commissioner’s 2019 ambition is partly responsible for why the Onna born man has been acting anti APC and Pro PDP since his swearing in as NDDC Commissioner by President Muhammadu Buhari and not doing enough to protect the interest of Akwa Ibom State since he was NDDC boss.
Efforts to get the reaction of the NDDC Commissioner proved abortive as he refused picking his calls nor responded to text messages sent to his mobile phones.
(c) Eneh John
According to a source, Udom who is very desperate to stop the alarming rate of PDP members defecting to the APC, was advised to form an alliance with the NDDC boss since both of them are from Onna LGA as such cross party alliance was necessary in realising the Onna Accord.
“Yes it is true that the Governor has endorsed the Akwa Ibom NDDC Commissioner for Reps 2019 but I can tell you the deal may be dead already as the state Commissioner for Works, Ephraim Inyang who also hails from Onna and allegedly the Governor’s right hand man is strongly against the Udom/Frank partnership.
Ephraim’s stance is that Dr Frank is not a politician and it will be a waste of political capital to allow such a deal go throw when it is certain that 2019 will be a very tough election”.
The 2019 House of Reps ambition of Dr Frank is already causing crisis within the APC in the state.
Some APC members said it was wrong and too early for the Commissioner to enter into such an alliance with the PDP to undermine his party ahead of the next general election.
They said the Commissioner’s 2019 ambition is partly responsible for why the Onna born man has been acting anti APC and Pro PDP since his swearing in as NDDC Commissioner by President Muhammadu Buhari and not doing enough to protect the interest of Akwa Ibom State since he was NDDC boss.
Efforts to get the reaction of the NDDC Commissioner proved abortive as he refused picking his calls nor responded to text messages sent to his mobile phones.
(c) Eneh John
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