Some of the stakeholders of PDP in Mbo who chaired the meeting.
By Itoro Bassey – Uyo
Ahead of the 2020 local government election in Akwa Ibom State, stakeholders and members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Mbo local government area have unanimously zoned the council chairmanship seat to the Effiat axis of the area.
Those who took the position during a party meeting held at Skypoint Hotel in Oron include Hon Etetim Okon Isemin, the PDP Mbo chapter chairman and convener of the meeting; Hon Sunday Etim, a state party officer; Chief Eyoh Edet, deputy coordinator of the Governor Udom Emmanuel’s Divine Mandate Campaign Organization, Joe Anwana, Barr Torosco Ebiene, and Oscar Odoro, among others.
Participants drawn from all the five political blocs of Mbo: Nyong Archibong Okon (Effiat zone), Hon Lawrence Ntuen (Uda zone) Hon Oscar Asuquo Afiokinye (Ebuhu zone), Oscar Edet (Enwang zone), Aniefiok Abang ((Udesi zone), Obongaanwan Sara, and others spoke for their zones and also endorsed the zoning.
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Justifying their position, the PDP leaders said Effiat zone has never had a taste of the council chairmanship office since 1999 when Nigeria returned to democracy.
According to the PDP leaders, their action would allow justice and fair play to play out during the election.
The asked all aspirants on the PDP platform from other zones of Ebughu, Uda, Udesi, and Enwang in Mbo to let go their ambitions for an Effiat son or daughter to emerge chairman.
Lawrence Ntuen said: “We all know that Effiat zone needs power. With all our consciences, we should ensure that this time around, the next council chairman should come from Effiat. We all know the truth”.
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Speaking in a similar vein, a woman leader, Obonganwan Sarah said what would make democracy work smoothly and peacefully in Mbo local government area would be to ensure the chairmanship seat goes round the five zones.
Obongamwan Sarah, who spoke alongside ten women representing the ten wards of Mbo local government area, added: “We want to ensure that justice and fairness dominate what we want to do in the area of zoning the chairmanship position”.
Barr Torosco Ebiene thereafter moved the motion for the adoption of the chairmanship seat zoning to Effiat which was seconded by Obonganwan Sarah and supported by everyone who attended the meeting through a voice vote.
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Available records on elective political positions and offices held by Mbo indigenes from May 1999 till date show that the Ebughu zone has produced three local government chairmen and two members of the house of assembly; Uda, two chairmen and three house of assembly members; Udesi, one chairman and two house members, and Enwang with two chairmen and one house member, leaving Effiat with nothing.
