2023: Mbiam Scare Rocks Akwa Ibom ALGON

By Ofonime Honesty

Attempts by the powers that be to coerce the 31 Local Government Chairmen in Akwa Ibom State into subscribing to Governor Udom Emmanuel’s succession plan got a notch higher over the weekend as they were made to realize that it was rather too late to back out of the plot.

During a meeting reportedly convened at the instance of Engr. Iniobong Robson, the Chairman, Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Akwa Ibom State chapter, the chairmen were pointedly reminded that they have to support the governor’s 2023 succession plan or risk losing their seats before the conclusion of their first terms in office.

Two serving chairmen in the state who leaked the information to newsmen alleged that fetish oath (mbiam) have so far been administered on some chairmen who were suspected to have been coopted into supporting aspirants who are yet to obtain the governor’s blessing to run.

The duo who are from Uyo Senatorial District and Eket Senatorial District, respectively, particularly decried that the governor’s henchmen have resorted to the fetish oath tactic which has always been publicly condemned by the governor.

They told our correspondent that the governor fears the immediate past batch of Local Government Chairmen have since switched loyalty, hence the resort to gagging of the present chairmen.

One of the chairmen who vowed not to swear to the oath, called on his colleagues to thread with caution.

“Mbiam is not child’s play. The terms of reference, or terms and conditions must be clearly defined. We are not a threat to the system, we were picked by the system, but the system should not push us to our early graves. There is life outside being a Local Government Chairman.

“The Governor has repeatedly said that he is not in support of Mbiam and one wonders why the ALGON Chairman with a chairman from one Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency would want to force that on us his colleagues. If he wants to play sycophancy, let him do it alone rather than want to involve us,” our source complained.

The chairmen revealed that a salt-water mixture in a calabash tied with a red and black cloth was used in administering the oath.