Trail Reporters
In what may seem as a battle of the titans, Former Minister, Senator John Akpan Udoedehe last week Saturday, stormed the premises of Chief.Don Etiebiet, in a commando style, accompanied by a group of men, he had addressed the press, who were invited at the instance of Don Etiebiet.
Udoedehe said, he was being painted as a troublemaker, when he was not. In his words, he stated that, no one can push him out of the party, as Don Etiebiet came to meet him in the All Progressives Congress (APC), and he cannot be expelled from the party.
In stating his grievance on the current issues, which has factionalized the APC in the state, he said the Etiebiet’s group had taken the nine Federal political appointments from the state, as his group was left with nothing, and insisted that the Amadu Attai’s State Executive stands dissolved.
He further stated that, for peace to return to the party, the positions in the state executive must be renegotiated and shared to accommodate every of the factions.
In his submission, Chief Don Etiebiet read a communiqué, which he said, was reached at a meeting in Sam Enwang’s house, who is a former military Governor and also a member of the party, with Udoedehe and Otuekong Sunny Jackson
The communiqué read in part:
RECOMMENDATION BY A FOUR MAN PEACE COMMITTEE OF ELDERS ON THE APC CRISIS IN
AKWA IBOM STATE.
IN THE MEETING OF THE FOUR MAN PEACE COMMITEE OF ELDERS AT THE RESIDENCE OF GROUP CAPTAIN SAM EWANG IN EWET HOUSING ESTATE, UYO, AKWA IBOM STATE ON THE 17TH OF FEBRUARY, 2017, ATTENDED BY:
1. ATUEKONG DON OBOT ETIEBET, CON
2. GROUP CAPTAIN SAM EWANG
3. OTUEKONG SUNNY JACKSON
4. HON EMMANUEL EKPENYONG
IN ATTENDANCE:
1. SENATOR JOHN JAMES AKPANUDOEDEGHE
AND AFTER EXHAUSTIVE DISCUSSIONS ON THE MISUNDERSTANDINGS IN THE PARTY IN THE STATE, RESOLVED AS FOLLOWS:
1. THAT ALL THE ELDERS ARE COMMITTED TO RESOLVE ALL DIFFERENCES IN THE PARTY AMONGST ALL ITS MEMBERS, TO BE UNITED AND WITH TOTAL SINCERITY OF PURPOSE TO WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE THE VICTORY OF APC IN AKWA IBOM STATE IN ALL ELECTIONS.
2. THAT THE ELDERS RESOLVED TO BE GUIDED BY THE PROVISIONS OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE PARTY IN RESOLVING ANY ISSUES REGARDING THE COMPOSITION OF THE STATE EXECUTIVE COMMITEE AND OTHER ORGANS OF THE PARTY IN THE STATE.
3. THAT THE ELDERS NOTED THE COMPLAINTS OF SOME MEMBERS OF THE PARTY ON THE FEDERAL APPOINTMENTS FROM THE STATE SO FAR, THAT THE INTEREST OF ALL THE LEGACY PARTIES IN THE FORMATION OF APC WAS NOT TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION AND THEY DEMANDED THAT THEIR INTEREST SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS PRIORITY IN SUBSEQUENT APPOINTMENTS.
4. THAT THE PRINCIPLE OF INTERNAL DEMOCRACY MUST BE ADOPTED AND ADHERED TO EARNESTLY IN THE PROCESS OF NOMINATING PARTY CANDIDATES FOR ANY ELECTIONS IN THE STATE AS IMPOSITION SHALL NOT BE TOLERATED.
5. THAT THE ELDERS NOTED THE PURPORTED EXPULSION OF SENATOR JOHN JAMES AKPANUDOEDEGHE FROM HIS WARD, THE CHAPTER AND STATE EXCOS OF THE PARTY AND RESOLVED TO INTERVENE IN THE SPIRIT OF RECONCILIATION AS AGREED BY THE ELDERS IN THE INTEREST OF PEACE, UNITY AND OBJECTIVES OF THE PARTY IN THE STATE.
6. THAT THE ELDERS FROWNED AT THE USE OF VIOLENCE AND THE INTRODUCTION OF THUGGRY INTO POLITICS AND PARTY ACTIVITIES IN THE STATE AND WARNED THAT HENCEFORTH SUCH ACTIONS SHALL NOT BE CONDONED AND ADVISED ANY AGGRIEVED MEMBER TO EXHAUST ALL CONSTITUTIONAL MEANS OF THE PARTY IN RESOLVING HIS/HER GRIEVANCES.
7. THAT THE ELDERS ALSO CONDEMNED ALL THE NEWSPAPER AND SOCIAL MEDIA VITUPERATIONS AND FOUL LANGUAGE OF SOME AGRIEVED MEMBERS AGAINST PARTY LEADERS AND ADVISED MEMBERS TO ACCORD DUE RESPECT TO THEIR LEADERS AND WARNED THAT SUCH BEHAVIOURS AND ANY ANTI-PARTY ACTIVITIES SHALL NOT BE TOLERATED IN FUTURE.
8. THAT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS BE PRESENTED TO THE ENLARGED STATE CAUCUS OF THE PARTY FOR CONSIDERATION.
