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Mkpat Enin Royal Fathers Distance Selves from Eno Ibanga’s Political Leadership Ambition, Threaten Perjury

Traditional Rulers from Mkpat Enin have frowned seriously at attempts to drag them into political leadership controversy surrounding the State Commissioner for Works and Fire Service, Prof. Eno Ibanga. Some village heads in the area have even threatened perjury for linking the Traditional Rulers Council with the invitation to Prof. Ibanga’s self declaration reception as Political Leader on Saturday.

The royal fathers are worried by the tension which Ibanga’s bloated ambition has created in Mkpat Enin. They therefore invited Senator Ekong Sampson and Prof. Eno Ibanga to a meeting at the palace of the Paramount Ruler of Mkpat Enin, Edidem Akpan Akpan Ekpene, earlier today. Senator Ekong Sampson cut short his official duties and flew home to attend the meeting. Prof. Eno Ibanga was absent.

At the meeting, Senator Sampson, the PDP Chapter Chairman, Rt Hon Anietie Sunday, State Officer of the Party, Hon. Mfon Nkanteen, Leader of the Mkpat Enin Legislative Council, Hon. Ebong Akpan, Director-General of PDP Campaigns, Mkpat Enin and Chairman of Ward Leaders Forum, Mkpat Enin, Rev. Obot Ekanem, former Council Chairman, Sir Ubong Ekefre, among other leading stakeholders who spoke, said they were not part of Eno Ibanga’s strange declaration as political leader. They maintained that they were not even informed either individually or as a political party about any process to such declaration.

They Party top shots wondered why the issue of political leadership should come out now at a time Mkpat Enin people should be enjoying from the government instead of fighting over a non-existing political leadership position due to one man’s over ambitious tendencies. The chieftains expressed dismay how Prof. Eno Ibanga, a serving State Commissioner of barely three years in office can declare himself Political Leader in a Local Government Area where a serving Senator and other senior political bigwigs come from.

The Paramount Ruler of Mkpat Enin, HRM Edidem Akpan Akpan Ekpene stated emphatically that the Traditional Rulers Council was not consulted nor is part of Eno Ibanga’s political leadership controversy. Village Heads who spoke angrily including the Chairman, Conference of Village Heads, Mkpat Enin, Eteidung Sylvester Akpan Itiat said that it was very wrong for anybody to seek conferment of chieftaincy title on himself even before the official coronation of the Paramount Ruler.

They said that the usual practice was for the conferment to be done on the day of coronation and distanced themselves from any attempts to drag the TRC into partisan politics. They Village Heads were very annoyed that the traditional institution was being dragged into Ibanga’s invitation without their consent.

Meanwhile, there are strong indications that many of the royal fathers and leading stakeholders in Mkpat Enin will boycott Prof. Ibanga’s factional event.