Bassey Albert Draws Battle Line With Governor Akpabio

There are strong indications that following his inability to convince the people of Akwa Ibom State on his governorship bid, through an ethnic kite, a former Commissioner for Finance Mr Bassey Albert has surrendered his ambition and is mobilizing support for another dark horse in the race, Mr. Umana Umana.

Unable to hide his frustration any further, Bassey Albert Akpan has expressed his readiness to work with the fellow Uyo Senatorial District gubernatorial aspirant, Obong Umana Umana to ensure that the Senatorial District produce the next governor come 2015.

Obong Akapn, who revealed this during the birthday bash of Mr. Umana, stunned the people of the State by vowing to collapse his entire support group to Umana, as a strategy sole aimed at preventing anybody from Eket Senatorial District from emerging as Governor.

As if he has a personal misgiving against the people of Oro nation, Obolo, Ibeno, Ekid and other Ibibios that make up the largest senatorial district in the State, Mr Akpan boasted that he will stop at nothing including sacrificing his ambition which is fast becoming a stillbirth, in order to stop any contender from Eket Senatorial District, from becoming Governor Akpabio's successor.

Mr Albert condemned his former benefactor Chief Godswill Akpabio for butting him out of office, and described him as a tribalist who has throughout his tenure, marginalized Ibibio people from Uyo senatorial district people.

“This man has appointments to favour Eket Senatorial District, the minister is from Oro nation, the Commissioner in the board of NDDC is from Oro nation, the MD of NDDC is from Eket, the Deputy Governor is from Mkpat Enin, the position of Ambassador is occupied by an Eket son, the only position that was occupied by an indigene of Uyo Senatorial District which is Secretary to State Government, has been given to an indigene of Onna, so why should we allow him to encourage Eket to produce the next Governor?

But reactions trailing the recent development have favoured neither Bassey Albert nor Umana Umana.

Edet Ekanem, an Uyo –based tricycle operator was worried that Bassey and Umana are now fighting against a governor they had both benefitted stupendously from. “you see the law of Karma is there to judge anybody that seeks to destroy a finger that fed him.”

But Asuquo Nyong who hails from Uruan saw the basis of Bassey's aspiration as greed. According to Nyong, Bassey was in the race because after testing the sweet pills of politics, he wants to remain there to amass more wealth for himself.

“That is why none of them is telling us what they are bringing to the table, except that they are from Uyo senatorial district and must prevent anyone from Eket Senatorial District; now if I meet any of them I will ask why they hate Eket Senatorial District so much”, Nyong told our reporter from his boutique along Aka road.

“Bassey Albert is too myopic, why is he seeking for governorship of Akwa Ibom, when he recognizes only his senatorial district? He should rather pick a form and represent Uyo in the senate or better still, represent his community as councilor. Akwa Ibom is beyond the reach of ethnic champions,” says Obonganwan Mayen Edet Obiosio who is a civil servant in Uyo.

In his reaction to this, Obong Paul Ekpo the State Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the state has repeatedly insisted that though the party will not refuse anybody the right purchase forms, it will however not default in its decision to zone the 2015 governorship position to Eket Senatorial District.

Bassey Ubokudom, Dignity Media, Uyo