That was the summation of what the Chairman of G22 and former deputy governor, Nsima Ekere, told an enthusiastic crowd of Akwa Ibom people on Saturday in Uyo as he and his colleagues finally jettisoned their 2015 governorship ambitions in Akwa Ibom State as a way of sacrifice for their yet-to-be-disclosed choice candidate in order to “rescue” Akwa Ibom State from what is now perceived in some quarters as a seemingly done deal of Governor Godswill Akpabio’s third term agenda using his preferred governorship candidate, Udom Emmanuel, as a mask.
Ekere and his twenty-two aggrieved colleagues drew the battle line with Governor Akpabio after the controversial December 8, 2014 governorship primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that produced former secretary to government, Udom Emmanuel, as the party’s candidate the 2015 election; the result of which the G22 sees as a plot meticulously orchestrated by the Governor in favour of Udom. They have also termed the outcome of that election and other conducts of the governor as impunity that must be stopped at all cost.
Smoke literally belching from their nostrils, the G22 said they have had enough of a governor who thinks himself a god by planning to appoint the next 26 members of the state house of assembly, the three senators, state and local government executives, among others, in his self-seeking ambition to lord over the state in perpetuity.
With the theme, “On united Akwa Ibom we stand”, Obong Ekere and his colleagues told the gathering that it would be in the overall benefit of Akwa Ibom State that the people unite all democratic forces to ensure that Udom’s rejection is implemented next month during the governorship election in the state. Of significant mention too, was the presence of the governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress, Umana Okon Umana, and Senator Ita Enang whose speeches stirred up the crowd continuously till the end of the occasion.
Below are some of the comments gathered (some translated from vernacular) during the Saturday meet.
Obong Nsima Ekere
We want to thank Akwa Ibom State. Akwa Ibom State has been fantastic. You have shown that you detest autocracy. You have shown that you detest undemocratic practices. You have shown that you are democrats. That’s why we must thank you. Why are we struggling? Why are we together? You can see that every member of G22, all of us, wanted to be governor but right now we have come to a position that we are saying it really does not matters who is governor anymore amongst us. The only thing we are saying is that Akwa Ibom people must choose for themselves who they want as governor.
We are saying from now on, we must all say no to impunity. We are saying from now on, whoever has the privilege to become governor of Akwa Ibom state should govern Akwa Ibom State with the fear of God, respect for the rule of law and respect for all of you. G22 as a whole, and I’m sure the entire Akwa Ibom people are saying that we do not accept the undemocratic way somebody emerged as PDP flag bearer. And therefore, we will not recognize Udom Emmanuel as the PDP flag bearer in Akwa Ibom State.
We are saying that under no circumstance would we accept such impunity. In the last couple of weeks, there have been all kinds of lies. Let me assure Akwa Ibom people that the 22 members of G22 are intact and they are together. And they are united in the struggle to liberate Akwa Ibom State. They are united in their resolve that never again would we experience this kind of rubbish in Akwa Ibom State, that’s our position.
Dr Peter Esuh
We want to assure you that the G22 cannot be bought by money because what we stand for is the soul of Akwa Ibom State. We are not fighting for any individual progress right now. We are looking at the tomorrow of our individual progress and we know that if we allow this impunity to go on, we will lose the generation to come and what will the future generation say about us? Would they say that we were dull when one person was ruling this place as a dynasty of a family? Would they say that one person is trying to create a dynasty for fifty years? Would they say that one person has the right to share what belongs to the people of Akwa state? Would they say that we were there when one man brought somebody that we are told was identified by his wife to come and govern Akwa Ibom State?
That is why G22 has said no and I believe that is the position of Akwa Abasi Ibom people. We will not desert you, we will stand by you and we want you to stand by us because this is a fight to return this land that belongs to God back to God. We must say no to foreign gods. It is time for Jesus Christ to rule and Jesus Christ will choose whom he wants and when Jesus chooses the person that he wants, that person will sit on the throne of Akwa Abasi Ibom State. So we will stand together and win this war for Jesus. Thank you very much.
Senator Helen Esuene
I just want to say thank you very much to all the men and women and youths and children who have spent the whole day to come and receive us. We have been on a pilgrimage of forty days in Abuja and this pilgrimage was for the soul of Akwa Ibom state. We were there to make sure that what is right is upheld and right. G22 means God’s 22.
During these forty days, we’ve been bonded together as brothers and sister. We are saying that anybody who would be governor of this land will not operate with impunity. It has never happened in Nigeria before that 22 people left their homes even at Christmas, left their families to bond together for the sake of the people. It has never happened that people across party lines have come to receive their sons and daughters in a political gathering.
Assam Assam Assam, SAN
We have not started yet. There is nobody in this state that has the power to singlehandedly select the next governor, deputy, and himself as senator. There is nobody that can singlehandedly select the ten members of the federal house of representatives, twenty-six members of the state house of assembly and later the commissioners and minister, such a person cannot be in this state, it is not possible.
Barr. Effiong Abia
For forty days and forty nights, G22 left the shores of Akwa Ibom State. If you count between December 9 and today (Saturday January 17) it is exactly forty days and if you go to your Bible, forty days mean a lot. And at the end of forty days, sanctity has returned to Akwa Ibom State. Unity has returned to Akwa Ibom State and prosperity has returned to Akwa Ibom State. God bless you all.
Engr. Effiong Usin
Thank you very must for the support that you have given us these forty days, we actually appreciate it. And as we have said, we have devoted a lot of faith in the process of this struggle and we have stood firm. Thank you for also standing firm and at the end we will have victory. Udom will not be governor in this state.
Engr. Larry Esin
My brothers and sisters, on December 8 (2014), 22 of us, your brothers and one of your sisters, stood up and said no to tyranny. We stood up and said no to impunity. But that struggle belongs to all of you now. It has gone beyond us. For forty days we spent in the wilderness, the next forty days will test all of us to see whether the first forty days and the sufferings of all of us will go in vein. We must all stand together to say no to impunity. We must all stand together to say the time has come for democracy to be sustained in Akwa Ibom. All we are asking for is government of the people, by the people and for the people.
Umana Okon Umana
This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. Let me salute my fellow compatriots in the struggle to liberate Akwa Ibom State. Let me assure them that the people of Akwa Ibom are proud of them. We are solidly behind them. Akwa Ibom today has been divided into two camps, Akpabio and his family versus the entire people of Akwa Ibom State. So it’s not about political parties. It about Akwa Ibom that is why I am here to support them.
Ita Enang
This is G22 plus and Akwa Ibom people. This is the gathering of all Akwa Ibom versus Akpabio dynasty, his empire and his empress. Never in the history of this country have I seen a government and a governor where his secretary, attorney general, commissioners and all those who worked with him have all turned and say no to him. We have joined you today to say no to Akpabio. It is Akwa Ibom people who will produce their governor from any part they will like.
Seventeen members of the group returned to the state during the Saturday occasion. They include Nsima Ekere, Helen Esuene, Assam Assam, Chris Abasi Eyo, Ekpenyong Ntekim, Effiong Abia, Asuquo Asuquo Okpo, Anietie Johnny Ufot, Effiong Usin, Larry Esin, and Dr. Samuel Udonsak.
Others are Rt. Hon. Jerome Isangedihe Dr. Peter Esuh, David Okpon, Ita Udo, Engr. Ime Ekanem and Michael Sebastine.
Five members namely Rt. Hon Okpolupm Etteh, Chief Ime Albert, Engr. Patrick Ekpotu, Benjamin Okoko and Prof. Richard King however did not return with the team.
According to Nsima Ekere, Chief Ime Albert Akpan, Benjamin Okoko and Engineer Patrick Ekpotu saw the group to the airport but had to return back to town to in order attend to other pressing matters, while Rt. Hon. Etteh is said to be bereaved and had to travel to Ibadan to attend a meeting in preparation for the burial of his elder brother. Prof. Richard King is said to have a health challenge and so had to go for medical check
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