Ikono State Constituency 2019: Assembly seat must go to Ediene\Itak Clan, Elders insist

Elders of Ediene\Itak Clan in Ikono LGA have insisted that the House of Assembly position in 2019 should be zoned to Ediene Itak in the interest of zoning and fairness.

According to a communiqué signed by elders and political stakeholders of Ediene\Itak Clan and made available to NEWS LINK, the history of zoning political offices in Ikono was laid bare with facts.

They wrote: “whereas His Excellency has done exceedingly well and whereas no sane electorate changes a winning team, we hereby declare our total and absolute support for the re-election of the Governor in 2019.

“We equally appreciate the effective representation we have enjoyed from the immediate past Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator representing us in the Senate of the Federal Reuplic and Senate Minority Leader, Chief Godswill Akpabio. On account of his superlative strides and whereas his return to the red chamber will guarantee us a leadership slot at the Senate, we hereby declare our total support for his re-election and call on him to boldly step out and contest for the Senate seat”.

Continuing, the communiqué read: “That Ikono Local Government is reputed as the progenitor of zoning and rotation of political offices among the three geopolitical zones of Ikono South, Ediene /Itak and Ikono Middle as contained in the age-long popular Tarbas Accord of 1982 which was re-affirmed through the Agatha Hotel Accord of 2013. That going by this age-long zoning arrangement which is what has ensured continuous peaceful co-existence among the three zones, the House of Assembly seat in the forthcoming 2019 election is incontrovertibly and indisputably zoned to the Ediene/Itak geo-political zone, made up of Wards 9, 10 and 11.

“That the above specific position on the House of Assembly seat is predicated on the precedent that has been established and diligently followed since 1999.
In1999, Sen Alloysius Etok from Ediene/ITAK was elected member of the House and he served till 2003. He sought re-election but lost. In 2003, Dr Clement Bassey from Ikono/South was elected member of the House. He served a total of two terms of 8 years between 2003 and 2011. In 2011, Hon Victor Udofia from Ikono Middle was elected member of the House. He is on the verge of completing his two terms of 8 years in 2019.

“That for the sake of justice, equity and fairplay and continuous peaceful co-existence in Ikono Local Government Area and going by the established zoning formula, the next member of the State House of Assembly MUST BE a native of Ediene/ITAK, moreso as the geopolitical zone is the only one that has done only one term in the seat in question since 1999.

“ That we appeal to our Leader, the Governor to use his good offices to protect and defend the position and interest of Ediene/ITAK people in the 2019 House of Assembly position, moreso as he is not only a product of zoning but has consistently advocated zoning as a panacea for peace, equal right and justice. This also is in sync with the position recently taken by the State Caucus of our great Party”.