Following our earlier article, “From Saraki to Akpabio: And the mighty go for a political freefall,” a reader who identified himself simply as Usom called. He asked, “Why is the Federal Government desperate to win Akwa Ibom by all means foul than fair? My brother, must the APC manufacture victory against the peoples will? Why are they so desperate they need the security agencies, not excluding the soldiers, but not voters, not the Akwa Ibom peoples, to win? Are there things they are not telling us?”

So, the question is, Why is Akwa Ibom being turned into a martial stage for the purposes of state elections? Many have speculated that the APC government is actually a two-region internal colonialist coalition against the rest of Nigeria. See https://opinion.premiumtimesng.com/2019/01/18/the-ethnic-victory-of-2015-and-an-apology-by-moses-e-ochonu/.

Thus the APC, while being regional and internal colonialist, wants to wear a mask of nationalism, of being nationalists. There is also the fact that the South-South is the wealth basket of the nation. And those who are at their game of regional-tribal internal colonialisations, want the South-South, and specifically Akwa Ibom, as the liquidity providers. That is for their planned internal imperialism of the rest of the Nigerian people, including Akwa Ibom peoples, the Akwa Ibomites and the South-South will be the sources of the funding. In other words the Akwa Ibom peoples are to bleed out the very resources upon which they will be made a tributary region, upon which they will be made second class citizens. And expectedly there are no lack of local Quislings and comprador collaborators, including an infamous outgoing common senator.

As in all evil schemes, one desperation leads to another. Lately, besides the militarisation and securitisation of Akwa Ibom specifically, and the South-South generally, attempts are in top gear to compromise and capture the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) as a tool of APC in the South-South, etc. In other words, for the Abuja powers and local collaborators, INEC has to exist only as stool pigeons to help post and fix manufactured results in Akwa Ibom, etc.

Related News

A reputable newspaper has scooped on the news: “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may redeploy the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Akwa Ibom State, Mike Igini, before the forthcoming governorship and house of assembly elections across the country, top sources in the commission have told Premium Times.

An official in the commission told Premium Times on Monday afternoon that the chairman of INEC, Mahmood Yakubu, has been under pressure from the federal government to redeploy Mr Igini from Akwa Ibom.’’ https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/317449-inec-chairman-under-pressure-to-redeploy-recs-in-akwa-ibom-four-other-states.html

In all, there is need for a serious warning. Nigeria is not a banana republic. Any attempts to abridge or breach the expression of the voters’ preferences will be met by the iron will of the people. This is the 21st century. 

Already, an outgoing senator has wagered that he is the God’s will of Akwa Ibom politics. And he added to his god delusion the immense and immeasurable powers of the Federal Government. Yet, the people floored him, the voters gave him a technical knockout. The choice of the people is to go on with Udom Emmanuel and help turn Akwa Ibom into Africa’s leading centre of excellence. The choice of the people is not to be distracted by an Abuja, by an APC, that has not done anything and has no plans for Akwa Ibomites specifically, and the South-South peoples generally.