Dr. Ita Udosen, caretaker chairman of APC, Akwa Ibom State.
By Abasifreke Effiong
There is an uproar that may further decimate the ranks of the All Progressives Congress in Akwa Ibom State following a leaked list containing 30 names recommended for Board appointments.
The list allegedly submitted to the national secretariat of the party at Blantyre, Wuse ll, Abuja, by the caretaker chairman of the party in Akwa Ibom State, Dr. Ita Udosen, has Obong Nsima Ekere, and wife of the secretary of the national caretaker committee of APC, Mrs. Justina John Udoedehe.
While Obong Nsima Ekere, resigned his appointment as Managing Director of NDDC in 2019 to contest the governorship election, Mrs. Justina John Udoedehe, served on the Board of Federal Medical Centre, Gasau, Zamfara State, while her husband now secretary of party served as Board member of NITDA.
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The list was circulated on Tuesday morning in closed online groups populated by stakeholders of the APC in the State.
Members of the party who are in the social group where the list was leaked said stakeholders of the party are dissatisfied with the ‘skewed recommendations’ made by Dr. Udosen, and have berated the party leadership for being insensitive to other party members who have contributed to the party since 2015 but have not benefited from any appointment.
The uproar is blasting barely 24 hours after the caretaker chairman of the APC in the state, Dr. Udosen, told members of the party to shun a meet convened by a faction of stakeholders of the party led by BoT member, Group Captain Sam Enwang, where Senator Godswill Akpabio, was named leader of the party in the state.
The leaked list which was sighted by The Dune, does not include stakeholders of the party loyal to Senator Godswill Akpabio, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and Senator Ita Enang, SSA on Niger Delta Affairs and Economic Diversification.
Some of the names on the list are Dr. Ita Udosen, caretaker chairman of the party, Mr. Augustine Enefiok Ekanem, caretaker secretary of the party, Obong Nsima Udo Ekere, H.E. Grp. Capt. Sampson Ewang, Mrs. Justina John Udoedehe, Dr. Amadu Attai, Sir Emmanuel Ekpenyong, Arc. Otu Ita Toyo, Mr. Nse Ntuen, Hon. Uduyok Aboh, Sir Cosmas Ibanga, Mr. Emmanuel Inwang,
Others are, Mr. Etim Etim, Mr. Uduak Ikpatt, Mrs. Inimfon Nelson, Mr. Noah Noah, Mr. Inyang Unyah, Dr. Patrick Williams, Mrs. Rachael Akpabio, Mr. Nsikak Udo, Prof. Emmanuel Udoh, Mr. Thomas Thomas, Mr. Emmanuel Andy, Mr. Idongesit Akpan, Mr. Mitchell George, Dr. Uduak Okpoho, Mr. Uloh Uloh Oduononwi, Mr. Emmanuel Hogan Akpan.
Members of the party said the names on the leaked list are not equitably distributed across the three senatorial districts.
Another member of the party who did not want to be named said the leaked list shows that the Dr. Udosen’s caretaker committee does not have regards for members who have made sacrifices to keep the party afloat except those who will bootlick them.
“Many people who have suffered for the party; they have bought forms and contested elections in the party even before Dr. Ita Udosen joined this party.
“The list is skewed to favour a few persons whom Udosen has chosen arbitrarily. It is the height of selfishness and bad politics that Dr. Ita Udosen has chosen to re-recommend people who have recently served out a term in Boards and parastatals, without recourse to those who have contributed to the party but have never benefited from the party since 2015.”
When contacted, the caretaker chairman of the party, Dr. Ita Udosen, said the list is fake, even though it is circulated by critical stakeholders of the party.
“That is a fake list. It is a social media list. Did you see my signature on it? Anything that my signature is not on it is fake. If the national secretariat of the party wants names for board appointments, the state executive committee of the party will meet and select the names.”
