[Opinion] PDP Is Old “Religion” In Akwa Ibom -By Franklyn Isong

“We gather today to affirm our belief that PDP is a Religion in Akwa Ibom State…” Akwa Ibom PDP state chairman, Mr Paul Ekpo, declaring at the flag off of PDP campaign for the December 2, 2017, local government elections in the state.

According to ‘Merriam-Webster’ dictionary, RELIGION is defined as: “The belief in a god or in a group of gods. An organised system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods.” Even when, I disagree with Paul Ekpo’s assertion. Because, I am yet to come to terms with the reason my good friend and brother, Obong Ekpo, made such assertion.

Granted, I am not a politician per say, and in politics, politicians do boast about nothing, in order, to intimidate their opponents. They speak big and make mountain out of a molehill. Could this have been Mr Ekpo’s intention? Well, let the guess work continue!

Ekpo is doing a second term in office as PDP chairman. I have repeatedly called for the dissolution and reconstitution of the entire PDP executives starting from wards to state level, if Governor Udom Emmanuel must take full control of the party’s structure ahead of the 2019 general elections. I do not believe the structure belongs to the governor as it were, especially, owing to the latest development in our polity. We all knew who owned the PDP structure before Mr Udom Emmanuel became governor in 2015.

I would not have bothered myself if Paul Ekpo is new in Nigeria politics. But no! He had, at least, if nothing, witnessed the defeat of his party’s presidential candidate, who was, at that time, a sitting President, Mr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, in 2015 elections by his APC opponent, Mr Muhammadu Buhari. Before the presidential poll, the PDP’s national leaders had promised and/or boasted to Nigerians that “PDP WILL RULE NIGERIA FOR 50 YEARS.”

I feel concerned seeing the innocent look on the face of Mr Udom Emmanuel, each time, I watched him speaking in a political rally organised for him of late. The look on the governor’s face, may be interpreted to mean that he is knew in Nigeria partisan politics. And perhaps, that is why he seems to be falling for everything on the hands of career politicians in the state. He probably still believes Paul Ekpo’s outdated assertion that “PDP is the ONLY Religion in Akwa Ibom State.” This illusion could be responsible to why the governor has failed to read and understand the clear handwriting on the wall that the picnic is since over. And that he needs to stamp his feet on the ground and take his destiny into his hands. Instead of hoping and dining with his political enemies, spies, traitors and betrayers without knowing.

I think, the PDP’s chairman, needs to do more than what he is doing right now. Maybe, the PDP was a “Religion in Akwa Ibom state,” when Senator Godswill Akpabio was in her fold. But this cannot be said after Wednesday, August 8, 2018. The “great teacher” in the PDP Religion had since departed to another Religion – the ruling APC, which according to him (Akpabio), his intention is to take Akwa Ibom (which is currently under PDP Religion) and south south zone to the centre –which is controlled by another Religion (the APC). Akpabio is known to always live up to his words.

Akpabio’s movement has changed the music in the middle of the game. The rules have been altered to accommodate another RELIGION in Akwa Ibom state, apart from the one known to Obong Paul Ekpo in November 2017, that is; the PDP Religion.

KNOW YE ALL that there are now two “Religions” in Akwa Ibom state – the OLD and the NEW Religions, which are; the PDP and the APC respectively.

• Franklyn Isong is a public affairs commentator