N100m traders’ fund for Eno’s APC ticket sparks controversy in Akwa Ibom
The N100 million gift given to Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom to facilitate his nomination form for a second term in All Progressives Congress (APC) by traders, during their 2025 Annual General Meeting in Uyo, has sparked off both commendation and criticism across the State.
While Idorenyin Rapheal, Governor’s Special Assistant on Market Duties and officers of Akwa Ibom Traders Union, described the gesture as deserving, in view of the ”governor’s inclusive leadership style, political stability, vision-driven administration, peace mission and ARISE agenda’, others see it as tricks by sychophants, to create a ”false’impression and manufacture a spurious endorsement of the governor for a second term.
A food stuff importer at the popular Akpan Ndem market, Edem Okon said Akwa Ibom people should appreciate Governor Umo Eno in view of his remarkable performance, political stability, peaceful coexistence among different political parties in the State, his peace mission, as expressed in his ‘United Akwa Ibom Party” mantra and business friendly attitude, which he believed, had encouraged commercial and economic boom.
On the other hand, Ephraim Edem expressed doubt that the N100 million truly came from peasant, struggling traders, who are battling to bring their products from the rural communities to urban markets with multiple taxes and high cost of transportation.
Read also: Former allies scream ‘betrayal’, predict crisis as Umo Eno defects to APC
He however directed the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Market Affairs, to advise the governor to approve and implement grants and free loans to traders and tell him the true business condition of the traders
He described the development as a ”beautiful work of sychophants and eye servants, and the endorsement of the governor as fraudulent”
”Politicians should allow the governor to concentrate on governance rather than to push him to electoral desperation.
“If you listen to bitter complaints from traders and the frustrations they pass through to stand a chance of getting the Gtate Government grant, you’ll not believe it is the same people, who present the cheque of N100 million for the governor’s second term nomination form”
Others advised the governor to be careful with political jobbers, who had already started the same game they played on ex Governor Udom Emmanuel.
”If you look at the faces of the traders, you will know they can’t afford, even one tenth of the 100 million naira.
“Return ticket formula is workable political strategy, but an old recycling trick, used by political jobbers and professional sychophants to devour desperate power seekers”, some people remarked.
Yet, others praised the governor for his inclusivity, advised him to shut his eyes and ears from the drumbeats and deceptive flowers from sychophants.
