The daily display of culture and cuisines by the 31 Local Government Areas at the ongoing Christmas Unplugged 2.0 celebration in Uyo turns out to be an avenue to unite rival politicians in two political hotbeds, Eastern Obolo and Essien Udim
By Inemesit Ina
During his gubernatorial campaign, between 2022 and 2023, Pastor Umo Eno hinted that he would make cultural array, by all 31 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Akwa Ibom State, a regular feature of the state’s Christmas celebration, if elected Governor.
In December, last year, six months after his inauguration, Eno did walk the talk through his Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Sir Charles Udoh, who adroitly interpreted his vision and fervently ran with it in the first edition of Christmas Unplugged (as the commissioner rechristened the celebration).
The second edition of Christmas Unplugged started on Sunday, December 1, 2024, again with daily cultural exposition by respective LGAs among many other interesting activities.
This time, the Governor has given a ground rule – no display of fetish traditional masquerades and performance. And the rule is being followed to the letter by Udoh and his planning committee.
So far, Abak, Eastern Obolo, Eket, Esit Eket, Essien Udim and Etim Ekpo have all colourfully taken their turn without any breach of rule.
But beyond the cultural show, the outing by LGAs has also served as a veritable opportunity to showcase unity among the political class, especially in Eastern Obolo and Essien Udim.
Eastern Obolo
A Tale of Veterans
Politics in Eastern Obolo, an oil-rich oceanfront in the state, is never for the faint-hearted. It is usually tough, if not vicious or a fight to the finish. There were times violence was employed to settle political disputes. A stark case was the 2001 turmoil which engulfed the Local Government (LG) headquarters, Okoroete, for nearly a year because of a protracted political disagreement. The disagreement came to a head and boiled over, splashing blood, sweat and tears. Rampaging militants, allegedly hired from Andoni (Western Obolo) LGA in Rivers State, unleashed mayhem on certain persons and battled mobile policemen sent in by then Governor Victor Attah before they were forced to retreat. Okoroete became a ghost town as residents fled.
In the last 27 years, the following high-profile politicians have been recurring decimals in the politics of Eastern Obolo – the Paramount Ruler, former Member of the old Cross River State House of Assembly and pioneer elected Chairman of Eastern Obolo Local Government, Ubong Harry Etetor, the second elected Chairman of the LG, Chief Ufikairo Efet, his elected successor and later Member representing Ikot Abasi/Eastern Obolo State Constituency in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Dr. Charles Mbong, another former Assembly Member and later Commissioner, Sir Adasi Ubulom, who is now the Chairman of the Eastern Obolo Stakeholders’ Forum, and a former Commissioner in the Local Government Service Commission and later Eastern Obolo LG Vice Chairman, Mr. Loveday Ekuyok.
Even when an erstwhile Efet supporter, Mr. Francis Charles Uduyok, took control of Eastern Obolo politics and reigned supreme for 15 years (2008-2023) as LG Chairman twice and Member representing Ikot Abasi/Eastern Obolo/Mkpat Enin Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, also twice, these veteran politicians remained relevant as dramatis personae in the LGA, holding one office or the other or contesting elections.
For instance, before the present Member representing Ikot Abasi/Eastern Obolo State Constituency, Mrs. Selina Ukpatu, could secure a seat in the House of Assembly, she had to beat off a stiff challenge from Charles, supported by Francis, in the May 2022 primary of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and face Efet of the Young Progressives’ Party (YPP) in the March 2023 general election.
Over the years, there has been deep-seated political rivalry among some of these veterans. Some looked as if they were perpetually at daggers drawn with each other.
When Culture Joins Politics Together
All that appeared to cease on Monday as the veterans, who were all present at the Unity Park, exhibited an unusual camaraderie, pumping hands, joking and dancing together as peculiar dance troupes from the area thrilled the crowd. It was a sight to behold.
The young LG Chairman, Mr. Samuel Nteogwuijah, apparently pulled off the feat of bringing everybody together.
Speaker after speaker dwelt on Eastern Obolo’s unity and rich culture, commending the Governor for the opportunity to exhibit what they have.
Though Efet, the PDP founding leader in Eastern Obolo who now belongs to the All Progressives’ Congress (APC), did not speak, the recognition and respect accorded him and his wife by all, including his contemporaries and Selina, spoke volumes.
“We are not concerned about party here,” an exhilarated former Eastern Obolo LG Secretary, who is a PDP stalwart, told this writer.
Ethnic Solidarity
Apart from political unity, ethnic solidarity was also on display on Monday.
Eastern Obolo and Ibeno are the two Obolo (Ijaw) LGAs in Akwa Ibom. Small in size and population, they have maintained close ties since their creation in 1996.
There is an umbrella organisation, Ngba Ndiak Obolo(Obolo People’s Assembly), covering the two LGAs. Its President, Apostle Samuel Ekah, who is from Ibeno, was at the Unity Park in solidarity with his Eastern Obolo cousins.
Essien Udim
Christmas Unplugged Bridges Political Divides
The unity displayed by Eastern Obolo political class almost paled into insignificance when Essien Udim had her day on Thursday. While political tussle in Eastern Obolo has, in the main, been intra-party in the PDP, Essien Udim’s scrimmage moved from intra-party to inter-party six years ago. Since then, it has been feisty.
By the way, Essien Udim is one of the biggest LGAs in the state. And she has ranked, alongside Uyo, Uruan, Etinan, Etim Ekpo, Oruk Anam, Ikot Abasi and Urue Offong/Oruko, in the league of LGAs with the highest concentration of political heavyweights in the state in the last 34 years.
Between 1999 and 2018, Essien Udim was practically a one-party LGA.
The PDP hegemony was further entrenched in the area throughout the eight-year tenure of their son, Chief Godswill Akpabio, as the third civilian Governor of the state.
Things changed in August 2018 when Akpabio, then the Senate Minority Leader, moved to the APC. Subsequently,, Essien Udim politics has been highly polarised as reflected in the fiercely-contested 2019 and 2023 general elections and the recent LG polls.
It, therefore, came as a pleasant surprise at the Unity Park when leaders of the two rival parties joined forces to evince Essien Udim’s remarkable culture and cuisines.
The LG Chairman, Mr. Ntiedo Usoro, evidently mobilised all and sundry, across divides, to the event.
Beside him, other APC leaders present were his deputy and councillors, the party’s Deputy National Welfare Secretary, Dr. Chris Akpan, its Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District Chairman, Mr. Joseph Tombere (Patom), who represented Akpabio, now the Senate President, a Senior Special Assistant to the Senate President, Barr. Maurice Udoka, the immediate past Commissioner representing Akwa Ibom and Cross River States in the Federal Civil Service Commission, Mr. Simon Etim, and a former Commissioner in the old Cross River State, Abom Emmanuel Umanah, who left the PDP, two years ago as the Deputy Political Leader of Essien Udim, to the YPP and later the APC.
On the PDP side were the Political Leader of Essien Udim, Obong Michael Afangideh, the Member representing Essien Udim State Constituency in the House of Assembly, Prince Ukpong Akpabio, the Commissioner for Power, Engr. Camillus Umoh, a Commissioner in the Local Government Service Commission, Mr. Sunyiekekere Inokon, two former Assembly Members, Dr. Etido Ibekwe and Sir Nse Ntuen, former LG Chairmen, Obong Cornel Udoh and Dr. Anthony Luke (Aluko), and a former PDP state officer, Mrs. Mfon Udoima.
Dance of Unity
Essien Udim is renowned for her brand of Ekpo masquerades and troupes. The famed Ekpo Cultural Group, Ikpe Annang, was on hand to thrill the crowd including tourists.
To accentuate the unity, Usoro, his Chief of Staff, Mr. Uduak Isobara, Prince, who appears to be the arrowhead of Essien Udim PDP, and Udoka came out together to dance to the group’s rhythmic drum beats.
The Chairman, Assembly Member and Isobara stunned the crowd when they successively displayed spectacular dance steps associated only with Ekpo enthusiasts.
Preachment of Unity
Unity was the central theme running through most of the speeches.
Hear Prince who spoke in Annang like all others: “Essien Udim has come in one accord. This is not a party thing. The Chairman, you have started well. I thank you for bringing all of us together here. Continue in this regard. Our prayer is that this love should spread from Essien Udim to Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria.”
Usoro appreciated Essien Udim people for heeding his call to turn out massively for the event, regardless of party affiliation.
He specifically thanked “the umbrella (PDP) people of Essien Udim for supporting the government led by a broom (APC) man.”
Etim called for the sustenance of the unity: “It is a thing of joy to come together and I want to appeal to Essien Udim, now that we are together, we should remain together.”
Ibekwe, who gave the closing prayer, asked God to bless the Chairman for showing love to Essien Udim by bringing everybody together in his first major outing.
Garlands for the Governor
Essien Udim leaders also commended the Governor for providing the avenue for such show of culture, cuisines and unity.
Umanah was explicit: “He is a Governor that wants peace. That man wants peace in Akwa Ibom. Because of the Governor, everybody from Essien Udim has come together here, not thinking of party.”
Patom equally commended Eno for making Essien Udim one, irrespective of party, adding: “It is not a small thing the Governor has done. He has also done well for promoting our culture with this concept. May God bless the Governor.”
Eno, a tourism czar, might have envisioned the cultural array as a tourist attraction but, beyond culture, he has palpably ended up achieving political unity in Eastern Obolo, Essien Udim and, likely, more LGAs.
