Failure looms for APC in Oro Nation over imposition

Thousands of Oro youth have matched out for a protest against what they described as mindless imposition of ineffective candidates for the representation of Oro people.

They accused leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Akwa Ibom State of being insensitive to the plights and yearnings of Oro people thereby imposing unpopular candidates on them.

The Oro youth who matched from Ekeya Okobo junction destroying campaign posters at the party office and its environs and barricading the major road with trunks of plantain plants, chanted "we no go gree" and matched all the way to Uya Oro junction where they locked down the place, breaking bottles.

According to them, they were against a situation where a person that did not contest an election is being imposed on them by those who feel they own the party.

They stated that Oro federal constituency seat which was keenly contested and won by Mr Robinson Edumoh was allegedly being scuttled as they were informed that Senator Godswill Akpabio was foisting his godson, Mr Victor Antai on them.

Speaking during the protest, the campaign Director General of Mr Robinson Edumoh said, Oro, one of the premiere local governments in the country founded in 1904 was bereft of meaningful development owing to a case of perpetual under representation.

He said Robinson Edumoh had among other aspirants contested the primary for Oro Federal Constituency seat and won convincingly and that the people will not fold their hands and watch their land being thrown into confusion by elements of impunity.

"The former Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr Victor Antai had contested for the Senatorial Election and not for House of Reps. We deserve a good representation. Look at Oro which is one of the premiere local governments founded in 1904 just after Ikot Ekpene which was founded in 1903. We don't have any form of development and we are protesting every form of under representation. We are resisting all forces of impunity. We want the will of the people to prevail", he said.

Also speaking, a retired journalist in the area, Comrade Ima-Abasi Eyo stated that the youth were rising against what they called electoral robbery as the APC was said to have imposed Hon Victor Antai on Oro without considering the yearnings of the people.

His words, "The youth are protesting what they call electoral robbery. They are accusing former Governor Godswill Akpabio of forcing Hon. Victor Antai on them after they have concluded the primary and got their party's flag bearer in the person of Mr Robinson Edumoh. Oro is not a violent people. Akwa Ibom is one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria. Let party leaders do the right thing by providing a level playing field for everyone".

Placards displayed by the youth carried various inscriptions as, "Failure looms for APC in Oro"; "Godswill Akpabio, enough is enough"; "Oro Federal Constituency, we want Robinson Edumoh"; "OHR, we don't want imposition".

They maintained that the party must definitely lose out at the 2019 polls if they are insensitive to the yearnings of the people who are rooted on having effective and impressive representation.

Meanwhile, Victor Antai was the former Governor for Culture and Tourism in the PDP led government of Udom Emmanuel, but resigned and joined Senator Akpabio when he recently defected into the APC.

Antai who was campaigning for a Senate seat while in PDP but was not favoured by Governor Emmanuel who rather supported the aspiration of a former minister, Dr Akon Eyakenyi, also bought the Senate form while in APC but failed to have the party's clearance for the contest.

Although news filtered into the Akwa Ibom society that Antai was purchasing both the Senate and House of Representatives forms for the just concluded party primary, his name was also absent in the list of those cleared by the party for the green chambers' primary.