These are indeed troubling times in the camp of distinguished Senator Victor Ndoma Egba (SAN), the embattled senator whose vaunted ambition is to represent Cross River Central for life.
The well choreographed public image of the Senator took a direct hit recently when his hatchet men and surrogates threw caution to the wind by bringing politics into the New Yam Festival of Akparabong, the peaceful town in Ikom Local Government Council.
Having identified Rt. Hon. John Owan Enoh, the influential and populist politician from the Central Senatorial District as an implacable enemy who must be stopped at all cost for daring to harbour a senatorial ambition, even though he is yet to declare officially, the senator’s attack dogs were determined to stop Owan Enoh from honouring the invitation extended to him by the good people of Akparabong to grace the occasion of their new yam Festival.
Acting in cahoots with a compromised security apparatus, attempts were made to stop Owan Enoh from entering Akparabong ostensibly due to a nonexistent security report of a mayhem waiting to happen.
Of course, Rt. Hon. John Owan Enoh saw through this smokescreen and could not be deterred. It was a homecoming for Owan Enoh and his entourage as the entire town came out to welcome them.
The connection between this illustrious son of Cross River State and the people was indeed a beauty to behold. Needless to say that the senator and his roughnecks hid their heads in shame as their ill fated attempt ended up a monumental failure.
Not done yet, the ugly face of Senator Ndoma Egba’s supporters reared its head again, this time in Kakwagom, Boki where Rt. Hon. John Owan Enoh had gone for a thanksgiving Service at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, kakwagom.
The senator’s boys this time controlled by “mature” Victor Abang an aide to the Senate President made a more spirited attempt to stop Hon. Enoh from entering kakwagom.
These thugs were armed with guns, machetes and other dangerous weapons. They shot sporadically into the air. They failed in this gambit as Owan Enoh successfully attended the service.
It is interesting to observe that in all these provocations, Hon. Owan Enoh’s supporters maintained their composure and exemplary maturity. But we may ask: how will these latest desperate moves by the embattled Senator serve his already floundering campaign for an unprecedented 4th term in the senate.
As he faces looming rejection, the senator and his handlers seem to miss the point. Rt. Hon. John Owan Enoh is not his problem rather it is his poor representation of the people in the hallowed chambers that has come back to haunt him.
The use of strong arm tactics, violence and crude methods to stop a perceived opponent is outdated and no longer fashionable in Cross River politics.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Cross River Central and indeed the good people of Cross River State, will reject any attempt by Senator Victor Ndoma Egba and his co-travellers to drag them back to the discredited politics of the past which His Excellency Gov. Liyel Imoke has relegated to the dustbin of history.
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