By Musa Baba Adamu
A chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State, James Iniama, has described the wranglings in the party as a normal thing witnessed in every family, adding that the party will come out stronger and more united at the end of the day.
Iniama, who stated this during the weekend while fielding questions from some journalists in Uyo, the state capital, said there is no party that can stay together without having some varying interests and challenges.
He said “The wrangling the PDP is experiencing is a political process we should expect, we know that the national chairman’s tenure will soon come to an end, and the people obviously will become interested in being the national chairman.
“We are like family, this is like a family and it is a normal family wrangling and I make bold to say that there is no party that can stay together without little challenges of this nature. PDP is the only party of hope for this nation.”
Reacting on the fear that governor Emmanuel may anoint an unpopular aspirant as successor, Iniama said the governor is bound to give all the aspirants a level playing ground to test their popularity and competence, saying that only the best will emerge.
“My dear, we are not in a church where you get anointing oil and anoint any person of your choice; all these things have a process, the governor understands that the aspirants will all compete and exhibit competence. The governor comes from an organised banking sector and he understands the process of succession, he will like the process to run.
“I want to assure you that Akwa Ibom will get the best among the best, there is no anointed yet. The Governor cannot have a successor until elections are held. There will be an electoral process that will be published by INEC which will be followed”, he said.
On his views about the newly inaugurated ‘Maintain Peace Movement’- a vehicle which the present government is using to bring in Governor Emmanuel’s successor, Iniama said the state has not had it so good in terms of peace, recalling that political build up of the past regime was marred with fear, violence and hounding of any political opponent.
According to him “I support this movement, in fact I am an apostle of peace. Whatever you are doing in life, you have to cohabit peacefully. I have been one of the Nigerians who have suffered grave injustice, I have been hunted and hounded in this State just because I was seeking governorship and was an opponent to a certain candidate, you were in this State and knew how unsafe the State was at that time.
“In 2007, many people left this state, many left for Cross River, I left for the States. Akwa Ibom is now safe, well, I support the movement but I don’t know if it is the vehicle for the governor’s succession plan but one thing is that peace is a necessity.”
