Nsit Atai State Constituency seat 2023 remains sacrosanct for the people of Ibedu group of villages.
Towards 2023 General Elections, the build-up to Nsit Atai State Constituency race in Akwa Ibom State is generating diverse interests among Peoples Democratic Party faithfuls/ stakeholders across its three distinct group of villages.
This is in view of few self acclaimed “high profile and highly connected political interests personality” whose aspiration may destabilise the area’s standard and acceptable position paper for zoning and sharing of political offices.
Created in 1996, Nsit Atai is a single Clan Local Government Area with three distinctive groups of Villages, Ibiaikot, Ibedu and Afaha.
The issue of zoning, which has been on the front burner, has been and still remains sacrosanct. Ranging from Local Government Council Chairmanship, House of Assembly Membership, to Paramount Ruler seats.
It is based on this premise that political offices and traditional stool of the area have stood on the principle of rotation and by rotation, which simply means “turn by turn”.
It will be imperative for the Council Chairman, Rt. Hon. Emem Ibanga from Afaha group, Ndisiak in particular, who is rumoured to have indicated interest in contesting the State Parliament seat in 2023 General Elections to respect, and abide by the rotational principle in the area. This principle has been in practice since the return of democracy in 1999.
Appraising Nsit Atai State Constituency seat retrospectively, Hon. Inyang Ekpe from Afaha had his turn of representing the people in the State hallowed chamber. Followed by Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Ekpenyong from Ibiaikot group of Villages.
At the end of his tenure, Hon. Ekpenyong yielded the floor to Rt. Hon. Udoh Darby popularly known as Ette Udoh from Ibedu group.
This zoning practice continued when Hon. Mrs. Sarah Elijah from Afaha group took the representative position from Hon. Udoh. Then Rt. Hon. Mark Esset, an Ibiaikot son took over from Hon. Sarah Elijah and broke the jinx as a second timer (serves two term) in the State House of Assembly.
Based on this rotational pattern, the pendulum of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly seat 2023 is dangling in Ibedu group of villages and the natives are resolute to grab their rotational right.
Historically, Rt. Hon. Emem Ibanga is a beneficiary of zoning, as such the people expect her to respect same and rescind such ambition, if any, for sustainability of equity, peace, and fairness in the area.
It will suffice, if she acknowledge and remind herself that never again should Nsit Atai people be taken back to a political blood bath era as experienced during the bill up to Rt. Hon. Emem Ibanga’s re-election process to the council.
Families and loved ones are yet to recover from the political mayhem that befell them and countless loss of lives and properties, orchestrated on the people by “All-for-one thug group” allegedly sponsored by Council Chairman. Any further push in this direction may be gathering dark cloud in the area.
Although the re-emergence of Rt. Hon. Emem Ibanga and Rt. Hon. Mark Esset at the Local Government Council and State House of Assembly respectively, by providence, has elongated their service years in office, but that has in no way tempered with the zoning structure.
Progressively, Nsit Atai political class, stakeholders, and other stalwarts are envisioning 2023 as a harbinger of peace, equity and justice; in the true sense of equity, create sense of balance, to maintain and sustain the political understanding of the area.
Therefore, from which ever source Rt. Hon. Emem Ibanga is gathering some morale booster, which may destabilise the zoning structure of Nsit Atai political structure, it will be dead on arrival.
Given what appears in recent times as “tsunamic” collaboration among Ibedu group of villages, with right thinking Ibiaikot and Afaha Groups, such ambition shall meet a brick wall.
Nsit Atai people are vigorously canvassing for Ibedu to grap the State House of Assembly seat. This development has brought some verve to the zoning arrangement. Any attempt to disrupt the zoning political guidelines by an individual shall be likened to the Lask-kicks of a dead horse, that holds no sway.
With that said, as a matter of moral obligation, Rt. Hon. Emem Ibanga from Afaha group of villages is expected to consolidate on the laid down principles of the area and allow for a smooth transition from Ibiaikot group to Ibedu group as encapsulated in the official document.
Further push with such ill-fated aspiration shall meet with exodus stiff opposition against anti zoning in the area. King makers are resolute on maintaining zoning structure, with this unrepentant stance, they are ready to distance themselves from plans by any person or group of persons outside Ibedu who may be tempted to nurse the idea or indicate interest to pick ticket for the State parliament.
Nsit Atai people seem not likely to reconsider their stance, not now nor in the nearest future. Hence, whosoever tries to violate this structure risks losing the support of Nsit Atai three autonomous groups of villages, Ibiaikot, Ibedu and Afaha.
This behooves on Rt. Hon. Emem Ibanga to drop her House of Assembly Seat aspiration, if she desires to sustain the seemingly sponsored high ovation and thunderous applause, which she currently enjoys in her current political office, as the battle for Nsit Atai State House of Assembly 2023 begins.
I would rather advise, in your best interest, run, don’t run.