Ekpe Owo
There are palpable concern and tension in Ikono Local Government Area, over an alleged calculated and surreptitious attempt by a former retired Justice and a service justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in connivance of some acclaimed powerful politicians in Akwa Ibom State to foist one Mr. Kingsley Elijah Akpan, present Chairman of Ikono local Government Council Transition Committee on the Ikono people in the forthcoming Akwa Ibom State local government council elections.
This unpopular plans by the agents of oppression has generated serious feud and bitter grudges among the people of other geo-political zones in the area: this is against the backdrop that the said Mr. Kingsley Elijah Akpan is not favoured by the zoning arrangement of Ikono Local Government Area. What this simply mean is that Hon. Kingsley Elijah Akpan, is wittingly and overtly incubating political problems in the local government area.
The Politics of Imposition
This fantasy by Mr. Kingsley Akpan and his sponsors is a desperate attempt to undermined the collective will of Ikono people and that of it leaders of thought and stakeholders who painstakingly zoned the chairmanship position to Ikono South; in the light of this, their actions tantamount to gross disrespect and disloyalty political institutions in the area.
The stark reality is that no zone has ever repeated the council chairmanship position since it creation through election in the area except on a Transition system like the one he is currently enjoying.
This trend has continued unabatedly without any influence or manipulation from any quarters.
Undoubtedly, if this sinister scheming by Mr. Kingsley Elijah Akpan is allowed to scale through by whatever influences or source, then, it therefore means that the people of Ikono Local Government Area, will to continue to wallow in a reproachable aspersions as far as the politics of Akwa Ibom State are concerned.
Truism, zoning of political offices has been a veritable strategy and genuine element in the political lexicon of Nigeria since the inception of civil rule; this timeless practice has inculcated peace, unity, love, justice, equity and fairplay in the system.
A quick reflection of zoning of chairmanship position in Ikono shows that each geo-political zone takes their turn when the pendulum swing to that particular area without infringing on the right of other zones in producing somebody to occupy the said office, that must be done with any emcumbrance. Expectedly, sense of decency and respect to the age long zoning principles in Ikono should prevail on Hon. Kingsley Elijah Akpan and his sponsors to shade their plans of attempting to cause political disharmony or heat up the already tension soaked atmosphere in the area..
Hon. Kingsley Akpan and supporters know too well that, he is not favoured by zoing system, and that going about dropping names of these. big and influential persons behind his ambition will further threaten the unity and love among the people of the area.
Subtle reminder of those behind the plans to derail the zoning arrangements in Ikono by imposing Mr. Kingsley Elijah Akpan on Ikono should be aware that our amiable Governor, His Excellency, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno, a man of dignity, honour and someone whose words are his bound, has said that, ” no body who is not favoured by zoning in his area should contest the forthcoming local government elections no matter who he is”. This timeless warning is enough to dissuade Mr. Kingsley Elijah Akpan to drop his ambition and wait for the position to be zoned to his area..
It is on record that the office of the Chairman, Ikono Local Government Council was and is still zoned to IKONO SOUTH. No change or readjustment to that effect as at the time of filing this story. Ikono middle which produced the immediate past Council chairman, Hon. Nyakno Uwemedimo Okoibu, had already completed her term in 2023 December; Ikono Middle, happen to be the zone with which Hon.. Kingsley Elijah Akpan hail from, thus, he (Kingsley Akpan) is not eligible to contest the proposed local government election later in the year.
