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Benjamin Okoko Joins Akwa Ibom Guber Race

Akwa Ibom State 2015 gubernatorial race is already heating up with the recent entry of Benjamin Okoko, a quantity surveyor into the contest.

Hon. Benjamin Okoko
Mr Okoko, a former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national Publicity secretary and erstwhile commissioner of works has begun reaching out to a large section of political stakeholders across the state.

At a meeting held on Monday, July 28, 2014 with Hon. Chief Ekong Mex, Rt. Hon. Uwem Ekanem, Sir Justice S. U. Uwem, Prof  L. Ukpong and a host of other political leaders in attendance at the Ferrostal Camp, Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State, he pledged to consolidate on the achievements of his predecessors by driving the state positively and focusing on wanting critical sectors like agriculture, industry and human capital development.

The stakeholders unanimously saluted the courage of Ben Okoko in accepting to contest the Akwa Ibom State Governorship seat especially at this time where the governorship ticket has been zoned to Eket Senatorial District of the State.

Benjamin’s entry into the governorship race might change the political permutation based on a generous measure of grassroot support and goodwill which he hopes to leverage on in his latest assignment.

In 1998, a PDP governorship panel headed by Dr Chuba Okadigbo arrived Uyo to conduct a governorship primaries ahead of the general elections. After over four hours of deliberation at the now defunct Metro Hotel, the state leadership of the party came to a conclusion that Uyo senatorial district should be allowed to complete her tenure which had started during the administration of Obong Akpan Isemin in the aborted third republic. According to the elders, Obong Isemin of Uyo Senatorial District didn’t complete his tenure, and as such, another indigene from the district be supported.

The elders from Eket Senatorial District after examining the issues raised agreed with the arrangement and as a sign of their endorsement of zoning, the Eket Senatorial District elders at that minute urged Benjamin Okoko to step down.

Benjamin Okoko was favoured to win and had the support of the party at the national level but at the local level, he was going to truncate the agreed zonal arrangement.

As a result of that concession, there was no primary election, as Obong Victor Attah of Uyo Senatorial District emerged as the consensus candidate of the PDP enroute winning the election for a full term of eight years.

Is this Benjamin Okoko's time, are the people of Akwa Ibom going to stand behind him as they did in 1998? Only time will tell
Benjamin Okoko Joins Akwa Ibom Guber Race Reviewed by Msl on 6:43 am Rating: 5

2 comments:

  1. ekong bassey19 August, 2014

    Okoko, the question is are you running for real this time? rumour has it that you only come out to run in order to get settled just like you were in 1998 and 2007. State your intentions

    ReplyDelete
  2. Okoko is just a business man. Wonder how much he is going to collect this time to step down

    ReplyDelete

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