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From Post to Pillar
Since the dawn of the present democracy, Don Obot Etiebet has been a rolling stone, moving in and out of different political parties
By Tony Egbulefu
Thursday, July 13, was a day of glory for Don Obot Etiebet, the erratic heavyweight politician from Akwa Ibom State. For what ordinarily was a commonplace development in the Nigerian political scene, Etiebet’s second political sojourn into the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), turned out to be a high stake event for the party’s chieftains.
To welcome Etiebet back into the fold, the PDP emptied its top echelon into Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital to celebrate what was akin to the Biblical coming home of the prodigal son. President Olusegun Obasanjo who was represented by Ibrahim Mantu, Deputy Senate President, labelled the event of Etiebet’s re-entry into the PDP as “a great reunion.” Obasanjo also expressed hope that the Etiebet return would leverage the political fortunes of the PDP in the state.
Etiebet’s reception into the PDP a fews days ago, marked his second time around in the ruling party. He was a founding member of the party in 1998, but decamped under vague circumstances in 2002 to the rival All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP). Strangely, he emerged the national chairman of his new party in January 2003. Etiebet’s yo-yo movement in the PDP, merely adds to effectively establish his methods and tactics as unorthodox. Way back in 1997, Etiebet, who founded and financed the National Centre Party of Nigeria (NCPC), upon which he aspired to be Nigeria's president created an odious history, when he abandoned the party and his ambition midway and joined the better managed United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP) as a passenger.
Whereas many feared that terror agents of late General Sani Abacha may have frightened Etiebet into taking such an uncommon decision, Etiebet on his part explained that the action followed “a guidance from above.” Though, widespread dismay and opprobrium trailed the Etiebet action, such paled in significance, against the quantum that has dogged his Etiebet’s path he was the national chairman of the ANPP. Etiebet, who met a vibrant ANPP at the point of his defection, began on a gradual strangulation of the party. Barring the 2004 National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party executives, held in Maiduguri, Borno State, Etiebet refused to convene a NEC meeting of the party until February this year. Added to this unpalatible development, were serious allegations of embezzlement against his leadership by Governor Attahiru Bafarawa of Sokoto State and Jeremiah Useni, the party’s deputy national chairman, north, both of whom formed an axis that became Etiebet’s chief nemesis in the party. General Mohammadu Buhari, the party’s presidential candidate in the 2003 presidential election, on his part, treated Etiebet with scorn for leaving him in the lurch, in his over two years of legal struggle against Obasanjo and the PDP over the outcome of the 2003 presidential election, and for running the party aground. What, however, clearly cut Etiebet out as an undertaker in the ANPP, were clear manifestations of his activities as a PDP spy in the party. To the chargrin of ANPP, supporters, Etiebet against leading a vibrant opposition to the government, chose to be a regular face at high tables at government-sponsored events, but rarely showed presence at the national secretariat of the ANPP. Of note is that he was the only leader of the opposition parties that never blew hot on the dire issue of third term. Until the National Assembly nailed the coffin on the tenure elongation agenda on May 16, Etiebet chose to describe the Obasanjo tenure elongation scheme as mere rumour. And the ANPP, he said, had no other plans against the noisome agenda other than to treat it as rumour.
Etiebet’s mal-administration of the ANPP, notably, fathered cracks, which rapidly developed to chasms in the party. And severally, the Bafarawa and the Useni group made attempts, albeit illegally, to tumble his inept leadership. As the party's ship continued to go adrift, members of the party began to jump ship, such that by the time Etiebet agreed to a soft-landing from the party’s helm of affairs in March this year, the ANPP hierarchy had become an empty shell. As they leave, they pulled along their followers. But beyond the turbulence that angry party leaders unleashed on Etiebet’s leadership, he was equally punished with acute starvation of funds. And as the party gasped for breath, perceptive Nigerians and the political class alerted on the imminent death of ANPP, but Etiebet held a contrary view. He held on as a king without a kingdom.
Last month, which by approximation was three months after his exit as the party’s chairman, he gave up on the party and resigned. His resignation did not come as a surprise. He had seen himself as any remnant in an empty house. His move to the PDP, was equally predictable. What is also clear is that the deal that saw to Etiebet’s re-entry into PDP was hinged on a mutual back-scratching. Etiebet would likely earn patronages as a businessman and the PDP will gloat that its reconciliatory efforts are yielding fruits. And more importantly, the party can more vigorously lay claim to being a beautiful bride. PDP’s gain in Etiebet and his loyalists return, however, can be seen as the loss of other parties, particularly the Vice President Atiku Abubakar- backed Advanced Congress of Democratic (ACD).
But ANPP members, who have seen it all with Etiebet, caution the PDP that there is hardly any cause to celebrate with Etiebet’s return. In fact, the party has described his exit as “good riddance to bad rubbish.”
Etiebet, they say, added no value to the ANPP, not even to the party's political fortune in his native Akwa Ibom. Useni, who though has pitched his tent with the newly registered Democratic People’s Party (DPP) simply described Etiebet as a burden.
From among his own people in Akwa Ibom, those who claim they love and value Etiebet have come out stoutly to advise him against any adventure into the state’s gubernatorial race. They say such would be disastrous for Etiebet, who they say, lack grassroots followership. Ironically, he did exactly that last week when he announced his entry into the governorship race. |
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