30/05/2025
*COMMUNIQUE ISSUED BY IBIBIO ACADEMICS ROUNDTABLE (IAR) ON THE SUPPORTABILITY OF GOVERNOR UMO ENO IN RESPONSE TO PERENNIAL CRISES OF PEOPLES’ DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP)*
Preamble
We, the members of the Ibibio Academics Roundtable (IAR), a non-political, non-religious, non-racial and non-gender learned society of intellectuals of the Ibibio nation, the fourth largest ethnic group in Nigeria, met on Monday May 26, 2025 in Uyo, the capital city of Akwa Ibom State, and discussed extensively the implications of unresolved crises in PDP, which hitherto was like a religious instrument of leadership; nay movement in Akwa Ibom State, and the futuristic fortunes of our elected leaders and representatives, especially the Governor of the State, and noted and resolved as follows:
*1. RECOGNIZING THE FACTS* that since 1999, which ushered in the fourth republic, all Governors of Akwa Ibom State, namely, Governor Victor Attah (1999-2007), Governor Godswill Akpabio (2007-2015), Governor Udom Emmanuel (2015-2023) and Governor Umo Eno ( 2023 - ) have always been elected on the platform of PDP;
*2. BEARING IN MIND* that all of them used the platform to develop the State to the best of their abilities and availability of funds;
*3. DEEPLY CONSCIOUS OF THE FACT* that ordinarily PDP became the darling of the people of the State where it always produced more than 90 percent of elected members of both the executive and legislative arms of government in the state and those in the National Assembly;
*4. AWARE OF THE FACT* that the situation ought to have continued given stability in PDP;
*5. KNOWING* that PDP of the day is engulfed in major crises and series of betrayals in its management at the National Level with serious judicial implications for members of the political class of the State;
*6. HAVING EXAMINED* meticulously the past profiles and history of PDP, where most members of the political class in the other half of Nigeria ganged up and betrayed President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 National Elections;
*7. NOTING WITH DEEP CONCERN* that in the 2023 Presidential Primaries, the South was to produce the party’s presidential candidate but the Atiku-Tambuwal-Ayu triangle truncated the deal which was duly acknowledged and reflected in the party’s Constitution;
*8. FURTHER NOTING* with deep concern that the South-South region of Nigeria of which Akwa Ibom State is a part of is the strength and, indeed, the financial pillar of the party but with marginal rewards;
*9. DEEPLY REGRETTING THE FACTS* that the party in its current state is highly factionalised and would produce multiple candidates for each political position;
*10. FULLY BELIEVING* that this state of affairs cannot produce clean flag bearers in the eyes of the law;
*11. CONSIDERING THE CASES* in Rivers State where the Judiciary produced Governor Rotimi Amaechi; Imo State where Judiciary produced Governor Hope Uzodinma, Zamfara State, where the Judiciary produced Governor Lawal Dauda and cases of other Governors in Adamawa, Bayelsa, Cross River, Kogi and Sokoto State and, indeed, several incidents, where the Judiciary produced members of the various Legislative houses in Nigeria;
*12. DESIRING* that members of our political class, who are evidently our leaders, are not victims of the apoptosis of PDP in the 2027 general elections;
*13. SEEKING* a new normal for members of the political class in the State, and;
*14. AFFIRMING* the futurology of PDP in the State,
*1. REQUESTS* that the current political class of PDP in the State take a serious look at the implications of the contrived crises of PDP vis-à-vis their future political careers;
*2. WISHES* that His Excellency, as the supra-ordinate political officer in the State, takes immediate steps to align with any political party of his choice which promises success, before it is too late;
*3. REMINDS* the people of Akwa Ibom State that there is folly in the wisdom of a goat and that there is wisdom in the folly of a sheep and following from this they should be inspired by the ultimate wisdom of the sheep;
*4. CALLS* on the Governor to engage in abundant use of tacts, strategic frame of mind and native intelligence in the new political environment; and
*5. ENJOINS* all stakeholders and supporters of Governor Umo Eno in Akwa Ibom State and the environs to follow his steps as he is the Leader of the State with the anointing of eight years in office as Governor; as eight unbroken years constitute the political accord between the people of Akwa Ibom State and whoever occupies the Hill-Top Mansion of the State.
*(OBONG) UDUAK E. ESHIET, Ph.D*
_Chancellor_
*PROFESSOR OTOABASI AKPAN*
_Dean_
*PROFESSOR ANIEKAN BROWN*
_Registrar_
