As the buildup to the October 31, 2020 local government election in Akwa Ibom State continues to gather momentum, politicians in various local government areas of the state are perfecting their plans to outsmart their perceived adversaries for purposes of coasting home some edge.
One of such moves has been uncovered in Okobo local government area, where the incumbent Deputy Speaker, Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Felicia Bassey hails from, and is the target. She is currently the highest political office holder in Okobo local government area.
Our paper gathered that the man purportedly positioned to do the hatchet job against the State Deputy Speaker is the Okobo Chapter Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr. Etekamba Ukpong.
A reliable source who confided in our Paper said that the intent of the blackmailers was to tar the Deputy Speaker’s image, who, according to the plotters, was “…growing daily”.
They were said to be threatened by Felicia’s political influence in the local government area. Our sources said that the Deputy Speaker was instrumental to the PDP’s landslide victory during the 2019 elections in Okobo, and has since then, been a strong factor of Okobo politics, hence their plot to bring her down.
One of our sources said: “He (Chapter Chairman) has been bragging about that the Governor’s wife (Her Excellency, Mrs. Martha Udom Emmanuel) gave him One Million Naira (N1,000,000. 00) to ‘do the job’.
Etekamba Ukpong has been telling people at various political meetings that they should watch out that soon, the political structure of Okobo would be wrenched from ‘Mma’ (Deputy Speaker).
“He boasts that very soon what would be published about Hon. Felicia Bassey will be enough to bring her down so that his political benefactor, Barr. Ekpenyong Ntekim, would take over the political structure of Okobo”.
Another source who also spoke on grounds of anonymity confided in our correspondent that the PDP Chapter Chairman claimed that he has concluded in his strategies, backed by the governor’s wife.
He was quoted to have been boastful of how the proprietor of Sky Point Hotel in Oron, Mr Eyo Okon, alias Eyo Asung from Mbo, had in the past, taken him allegedly, to the Governor’s wife for him to be made the Okobo PDP Chapter Chairman in order to reactive the political structure of Barr. Ekpenyong Ntekim, who is a friend to Eyo Asung.
The Governor’s wife could not be reached to comment on her alleged role in the purported plot, but a source close to Mrs. Udom said he doubted that she could be part of such plot.