APC plots Nsima Ekere\ Ita Enang joint ticket

The APC in Akwa Ibom State is fine-tuning plans for the next governorship election in the state, NEWS LINK has been reliably informed.

NEWS LINK can authoritatively report that plans are being perfected to present a Nsima Ekere\Ita Enang joint gubernatorial ticket next year in their bid to occupy Hilltop Mansion in 2019.

Both men currently occupy influential positions in President Muhammadu Buhari’s led Federal Government. While Ekere is presently serving as MD of the Niger Delta Development Commission   [NDDC], Ita Enang is a Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters.

According to impeccable party sources, the plan to cede the deputy governorship slot to Uyo Senatorial District where Ita Enang hails from was decided recently by party stakeholders loyal to the Umana Umana\Nsima Ekere faction in the state.

NEWS LINK learnt that while the Senator John Udoedehe Faction may not tag along this path, as war still looms within the party, the  Umana\Ekere Faction are undaunted in the mission to totally pocket the party and eventually summarily silence Udoedehe who they think is their only stumbling block to achieving the agenda.

According to source, the choice of Ekere as governorship hopeful has completely dimmed Umana’s chances of having a shot at Hilltop Mansion again. NEWS LINK was authoritatively informed that the 2015 flag-bearer of the party was seriously considering throwing his hat into the ring for the Uyo Senatorial District race in 2019.

Also, the decision to cede the deputy governorship position to Uyo Senatorial District was unanimously agreed as a ploy to garner the overwhelming majority support of the largest ethnic group of the state, the Ibibios. Although, two other politicians were considered, Enang, who has played a frontline role in projecting the state APC in Aso Rock was unanimously chosen for the role.

NEWS LINK was informed that barring any unlikely change of mind, the Ekere\Enang ticket is to be branded and carefully nurtured by party faithful in a bid to dislodge Governor Udom Emmanuel from Hilltop Mansion in 2019.

However, it can be recalled that the APC in the state has been embroiled in unrest recently, as clashes between factions loyal to Udoedehe and Umana\Ekere have been enmeshed in a media war that has gone dirty.

Things recently got to a head recently when the Uman\Ekere Faction expelled the fiery Udoedehe from the party, citing anti-party affairs as his offence. An enraged Udoedehe Faction comprising  mainly of the Ward Leaders promptly replied by writing the leadership of the party to pass of vote of no confidence on the State EXCO led by Amadu Atai.