…Says It’s Abak’s turn to produce senate
…Vows to Stop Akpabio if…
By Our Reporter
The long-simmering political tension between Hon. Clement Jimbo, the member representing Abak Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, and the 10th president of the Nigerian Senate, senator Godswill Akpabio, has exploded into full public awareness setting the stage for a fierce political showdown ahead of the 2027 general elections.
What many once considered political rumor has now transformed into an open rebellion and reality. Clement Jimbo, who has long remained under the radar in his silent resistance to Akpabio’s overwhelming dominance in Akwa Ibom politics, is now firing on all cylinders to withdraw power from the Senate President.
The signs have been there since 2019, while Akpabio was vigorously mobilizing support for the re-election of then-President Muhammadu Buhari of blessed memory, especially across the South-South, Jimbo was working tirelessly behind the scenes to support an opposition candidate under the Social Democratic Party (SDP) after he failed to secure the SDP ticket during the primaries to run for president.
His moral against Akpabio widened even further during the 2022/2023 election cycle. As Akpabio then serving as Minister of Niger Delta aligned himself fully with Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presidential ambition, Clement Jimbo threw his political weight behind the factional APC acting National Secretary, John Akpanudoedehe. At the time, Akpanudoedehe was a known loyalist of former Rivers State Governor and Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi another prominent rival of Tinubu and Akpabio till date.
From all indications it was no longer hidden that Jimbo was sponsored by Rotimi Amaechi to run for the Senate seat in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, directly challenging Akpabio’s political control in the region.
The latest flashpoint in Jimbo’s hellbent effort against Akpabio occurred last week in Ukana, Essien Udim LGA the hometown of Senator Akpabio. During a high-stakes stakeholders’ meeting in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, Jimbo walked away from the president of the Senate Godswill Akpabio and his wife Ekaette Unoma Godswill Akpabio after discovering that his list of Abak LGA stakeholders had been ignored not by Akpabio rather bu those who were in charge of screening.
According to eyewitnesses, individuals whose names appeared on Akpabio’s approved stakeholder list we’re given with ₦100,000 each as transportation, while those loyal to Jimbo, however, were left empty-handed a move that sparked outrage and public confrontation ably led by Clement Jimbo against Godswill Akpabio.
In a heated exchange, Jimbo declared that if Akpabio denied him the APC ticket to return to the National Assembly in 2027, he would contest for the Senate seat, claiming it is “Abak Federal Constituency’s turn to produce the next senator, not the Ikot Ekpene axis” where Akpabio hails from.
In what many have described as a calculated move to undermine Akpabio’s influence and relevancy, Jimbo scheduled a major political walk show in Abak LGA on the exact same day Akpabio visited the area to commission some of his landmark projects. The walk show drew a considerable crowd, the people who witnesses the show revealed it was an attempt to divert attention and reduce public turnout at Akpabio’s commissioning event.
Shockingly, in the said walk show Jimbo was spotted walking alongside some group of “cultise,” who openly declared that Akpabio had done “nothing tangible” for the people of Abak and this statement too also fuel serious tension in the area.
Political insiders have revealed that Jimbo has been holding closed-door meetings with Rotimi Amaechi and John Akpanudoedehe, exploring strategies to build a united front against Akpabio in 2027. The intention is to truncate Akpabio’s chances of returning to the Senate in 2027 and especially to block any path back to the Senate Presidency.
Although these meetings have not been officially confirmed, rumors of secret alliances are growing stronger by the day, painting a picture of a well-coordinated plan to dismantle Akpabio’s political empire.
With these latest developments, it is clear that the political landscape in Akwa Ibom is shifting rapidly especially in Ikot ekpene senatorial district. Clement Jimbo is no longer the quiet underdog. He has thrown down the gauntlet and is preparing for a full-blown political war with Akpabio.
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