Investigation: Akpabio, Ita Enang Kick Off Media War Against Gov Udom Emmanuel Over 2023 Governorship

Less than two years into his second tenure as Governor of Akwa Ibom State, a gang up has ensued against the Governor Udom Emmanuel, with propaganda machinery already oiled to dish out lies against the governor.

Behind this fresh sinister plot are the duo of the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Ita Enang.

Interestingly, the APC governorship candidate in the 2019 election, Nsima Ekere has been edged out, with Senator Ita Enang being positioned as the gubernatorial candidate in 2023.

Nsima Ekere is said to be out of the good books of Akpabio, who was said to have accused him (Ekere) of flexing political muscle with him by plotting to take the Akwa Ibom State ministerial slot.

Sources confided in our reporter that the scheme is being made to start early so as to have the desired effect of swaying public support from the governor before the end of next year.

“Reports will be planted in some online platforms and presented as outcome of investigations on the finances of Akwa Ibom State.

“This has started already, with a former media aide to Senator Akpabio, who has worked in a Southwest national newspaper as the arrowhead.

“The major attraction is 2023 and they are going deploy huge resources to it,” the source said.

However, some top functionaries of the APC in Akwa Ibom State are of the opinion that the party leaders should concentrate on selling the party to the people, using their achievements as appointees of the President.

One of the party leaders who spoke with our reporter on condition of anonymity said he was not comfortable that the party is toeing the same path of maligning the government of Governor Udom Emmanuel, which the party followed before the 2019 elections.

He said “When you see how well and efficient Ibom Airlines is doing in the aviation industry in Nigeria today, you can’t but be happy with Governor Udom Emmanuel, unless you are not a progressive minded Akwa Ibomite.

“That airline is not just about making money for Akwa Ibom State, it is about branding and marketing the people of the State to the entire country, and trying to upstage a governor who did that can only be achieved through superior achievements, not falsehood and propaganda.

“So I don’t think our party should keep wasting millions of Naira on propagation of falsehood. Rather, we should be cultivating the people through feasible achievements and promise to do more.”