Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant and Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel is intensifying consultations and mobilisation ahead of the primary. He has visited Lagos, Cross River and Delta State chapters. What are his chances? Deputy Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU writes on his quest for the ticket.
Ten years ago, he was not a politician. He faced his banking job squarely, oblivious of the tension-soaked political terrain. As an executive director in a thriving sector, Udom Emmanuel was a successful technocrat.
There were hues and cries when, suddenly, he surfaced on the radar. When the eminent banker was brought on board to serve as Secretary to Government by former Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio, some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains who were envious and livid cried foul, saying that Emmanuel had come to to reap where he did not sow.
But, the uncommon governor was just doing what was not common. Akpabio maintained that he saw some qualities, which others did not see or decipher. A man of destiny, Emmanuel succeeded his benefactor, although they later parted ways due to irreconcilable styles and differences.
The governor of Akwa Ibom also overcame the second term hurdles. Two factors, according to observers, were responsible. The Southsouth state has been the stronghold of the PDP since 1999. Also, many observers gave Emmanuel a passmark, saying that he has lived to expectation.
He had hit the ground running, mobilising his cabinet to build on the solid foundation erected by his hardworking predecessors, elderstatesman Obong Victor Attah and Akpabio.
Next year, the governor is expected to bow out after two terms. He is gazing at Abuja, the seat of federal power. His motivation are his profile and performance, the prevailing national mood that power should rotate or shift to the South and his resolve to reenact the feats he has recorded at the centre.
Predictably, it is a big battle. The PDP, for the first time, is silent on zoning. At the primary, Emmanuel will face veteran contestants, including Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President Bukola Saraki, Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal and his Bauchi and Rivers counterparts, Senator Bala Mohammed and Nyesom Wike.
Fighting for the presidential ticket is a wide departure from the scramble for governorship ticket. The road is laced with thorns. Many factors will shape the shadow poll, including the popularity of contenders, their structures, networks, zoning, capacity for delegate targeting, and money. The chairman of Udom Emmanuel Campaign Organisation and former governor of Benue State, Senator Gabriel Suswan, said the obstacles are surmountable.
There are puzzles: can Emmanuel beat other gladiators to clinch the ticket? Southern candidates include himself, Wike, former Senate President Pius Ayim. Can they step down for him? If they go to the primary, would the division not lead to vote split? How strong are his networks and alliance with other chapters, particularly non-PDP states, and geo-political zones? Governors are said to be powerful and influential in the opposition party. Can they agree to swing the pendulum towards his direction?
In Lagos, Emmanuel met with the two PDP factions. He held meetings with the former national deputy chairman of the party, Chief Bode George, who described the city state as an economic hub and hospitable place, and other chieftains. He was accompanied by Suswan, former military governor of Niger and Plateau states, Col. Habib Shuaibu, his campaign manager, and Information Commissioner Ini Ememobong.
He was accompanied by Senator Gabriel Suswan, former governor of Benue State, Col. Habib Shuaibu, his campaign manager, Information Commissioner Ini Ememobong, Moshood Fayemiwo, Obong Paul Egbo and campaign Spokesman Bola Bolawole.
Emmanuel identified with Lagos agitation for greater federal presence befitting its stature as a federal capital. He declared that Lagos is critical to the economic development of Nigeria, adding that its drive for industrialisation will jump start the economy of Nigeria.
He called for a special status for Lagos, promising that under his leadership, he will pursue policies that will make the Lagos economy to blossom.
In his view, the development of Lagos economy will have a multiplier effect on the economy of the nation.
Dissecting the challenge of leadership in the country, Emmanuel said only a competent leader can resolve the complex problems confronting the country. Therefore, he said the next president should have a great understanding of the economy.
Emmanuel explained the need for professionals to go into politics to fix the country. He promised to stimulate the private sector for economic growth.
He spoke on how he has administered Akwa Ibom and established Ibom Airline, which has acquired the reputation for being the best in the country.
The aspirant said there can only be good governance when things are done rightly, urging the party to settle for tested contenders.
Emmanuel said he has attracted direct foreign investment by creating a conducive environment in Akwa Ibom.
He pointed out that Akwa Ibom is next to Lagos on the list of foreign direct investment in Nigeria.
The aspirant said the country should rekindled hope about a brighter future to stem the brain drain syndrome among youths
Emmanuel, who described himself as a man of immense capacity and integrity, promised to strengthen the naira through economic revival that will reposition the country.
He maintained that Lagos is critical to economic growth of Nigeria.
He stressed: “A coastal transportation system for Lagos will further expand the economic prosperity, not only of Lagos, but Nigeria as a whole. Industrialisation drive for Lagos will jump-start Nigeria’s economy and strengthen the naira.”
Suswan described Emmanuel as a highly detribalised Nigeria, a sound economist, a believer in the spread of dividends of democracy and an expert who can realistically interpret the economy.
He said: “Emmanuel is a gentleman, who knows the economy of the country. What has bedeviled us is the lack of the knowledge of the economy. The next president should have that knowledge.
“Emmanuel worked in the private sector, became an SSG and later, governor. If at the state level he can accomplish all these, at the national level, he can handle national policy.
“We need a president who has knowledge of how to create money and cash. He is a man of innovation and creativity. He has pedigree and an antecedent. His campaign will focus on revamping the economy, how to address infrastructural deficut; road, rail; and poverty.
“Any president who knows his salt will focus on power. No power, no industrialisation.”
Suswan also said that if elected, Emmanuel will reinvigorate the battle for security. He lamented that bandits attacked the rail line and nobody was arrested. He recalled that as governor, Emmanuel tackled cultism.
He said Nigeria, which now lacks a definite foreign policy, has become a laughing stock in the comity of nations. “What is Nigeria’s voice on global issues, given our population and resources? Companies are moving out, to Ghana and Sudan. They are more secured than Nigeria,” he fumed.
Suswan dismissed the push for consensus candidacy in PDP as unwarranted, saying that he believes in ability. He also repudiated zoning.
“The President is from the North. What has it brought to the North? What is important is the ability, not consensus. What we need is a person who can take us away from where we are. . “Consensus that is for the interest of few individuals is not what we want.,” he stressed.
Suswan also said the Northern elders’ endorsement of two aspirants as consensus candidates does not carry weight. “The real endorsement is the primary,” he said.
At the palace of the Obong of Calabar, the aspirant told the monarch: “Send me. Here I am. And Nigeria will be the better for it.”
“I have never seen the type of problem Nigeria is plagued with. You cannot travel by road, neither by air nor by train.
He added: “We need good leadership and what God has done in the US he can do also in Nigeria.
“For this reason, God had prepared me for an occasion like this. I have been taken through the crucibles of fire in the private sector.
“The exchange rate of a plummetting Naira has meant that investments have lost 6 times their value. I am here to reverse that. I am here to rescue Nigeria. Our situation is not irreversible.
“We want to rewrite Nigeria’s history and put an end to all the insults being poured on us. You still remember the one ex- US President Donald Trump called us. All that must change. And I have what it takes to change the situation for better and restore the lost glory of this country.
The Calabar monarch was impressed by his presentations, saying: “You don’t need to ask for blessings; the blessings are yours already”.
Lamenting the state of the nation, the traditional ruler queried: “Can we still say we will have one country? We used to travel all over the country, but today, no more! I cannot even go from Calabar to Ikot Ekpene without massive security because of insecurity. Where are we heading to?”
The Obong, who prayed that God almighty would shower his blessings on the aspirant and direct his steps in the right direction, urged Nigerians to reflect on how the country got to this sorry pass.
To the monarch, the dependence on oil should be done away with, stressing that diversifying the economy to boost productivity by all Nigerians is the key to economic prosperity.
Suswan reiterated the economic woes of the country, saying creativity is required in governance to solve the problems.
Attesting to Emmanuel’s competence, he said the governor set up the Akwa Ibom airline that is being run efficiency and with integrity, which has made it more reliable.
Given the opportunity at the national level, Emmanuel will replicate what he has done at the state level, Suswan said.
He added: “He is aspiring, not on rotation, but because he has the capability and capacity. He has the pedigree and his antecedents, both in the private and public sectors, speak eloquently for him”.
Emmanuel said he expected to win all the delegates from the Cross River. He lamented the economic slide, sayibg: “Absolutely, nothing is working at this point in this country.
“It has got so bad that when people do the statutory duty of paying salary, they cite it as an achievement.
“Things can and should be done differently. I raise up my hand and say here I am to partner with you and God to lift Nigeria from the abyss.
“The burden to rescue Nigeria is in my heart and I step forward. It is not for personal aggrandizement but I aspire to inspire our people”
Emmanuel added that what the foreign countries Nigerians run to have, its citizens can create at home. ” It is not rocket science,” he stressed.
The aspirant said everything and everyone is negatively affected by the Naira depreciation because the cost of living, of goods and services have gone up alarmingly.
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Udom should go and resolve the challenges before his state first before lecturing us on challenges before the next president.
His state is faces with its own challenges. There are no viable industries in the states for youth employment; foreign investors are not encouraged because of his administration’s stifling policies; he is embarking on expansion of iron road and the airport road which has low traffic status; and most parts of Uyo stink as a resulted of accumulation of solid wastes generated and dumped at many undesignated spots around town, including around bridges at areas of Idoro and Atiku Abubakar Avenue. Itam market is in a complete state of decrepit as stench and solid wastes have taken over one lane of the road and stretching as far as half a kilometre along the market, with market men and women, and sundry traders and motorists struggling for right of way, which now results in heavy traffic build-up around the market and along the road. A visit to the site reveals a sorry site that depicts absolute neglect by an administration whose arrowhead is aspiring to become Nigeria’s President. Does irresponsibility have another meaning? It’s a shame!