James Iniama: Political Mischief And Burden Of History
Many were stunned that a well respected medium as Premium Times could lend itself to a serial political misfit, Mr James Iniama, to ventilate his frustration over his defeat in 2007 by Chief Godswill Akpabio to emerge the governor of Akwa Ibom State.
In an interview titled: “How Akwa Ibom became a killing field under Akpabio”, Mr Iniama claimed people whom he says were agents of the Akwa Ibom State Government “went after him.” He also outlandishly averred that, “we won sufficiently to have been declared the governor.”
After about 15 years, we had thought Mr James Iniama, who is said to be aspiring for the governorship position in 2023, had sufficiently purged himself of political depravity by making bizarre claims unsupported by facts and logic.
The facts remain that after he had resigned his position as a Commissioner in the Akwa Ibom State Government many months before the election, Chief Akpabio contested the 2007 governorship election against Mr Iniama as an ordinary citizen and was not in control of any state apparatus.
It is a known fact that Chief Akpabio, as a governorship candidate in 2007, did not enjoy the support of the incumbent governor at the time whose preference was for somebody else.
It was alleged that Mr Iniama was supported and funded by the incumbent governor at the time. Mr Iniama’s claim that “I had to relocate my family before the election because it wasn’t safe at all” at a time he was supported by the state exposes his political mischief.
Mr Iniama’s claim of Akwa Ibom State being unsafe to live in during the Akpabio years as governor is political shenanigans taken too far.
In those years, what Akwa Ibom State was known for was uncommon transformation that was unleashed by Governor Akpabio to turn a once civil service State to a destination of choice in Nigeria as individuals, government organizations and corporate bodies fell over themselves to hold their events in the state. Is that the same state Mr Iniama said was unsafe to live in?
Most outrageous is Mr Iniama’s assertion that he should have been declared the winner of an election he scored a paltry 19,865 votes against Chief Akpabio’s 1,044,566 votes. There should be honour, even among political desperadoes!
We are aware this is a season of politicking. If it is true Mr Iniama wants to contest as governor of Akwa Ibom State in 2023 and is serious about it, his work is cut out for him. He should tell Akwa Ibom people his programmes and how he intends to achieve them.
Whining about a defeat he suffered about 14 years ago and dragging the name of Senator Godswill Akpabio through political revisionism will hardly earn Mr Iniama a vote.
•Udom is the Chief Press Secretary to the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
