The 300,000 strong Nka Ufon Iban women group in Akwa Ibom State is threatening to stage a public protest half-clothed, if the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party succumbs to pressure and cancels the result of the recent governorship primaries of the party in the state.
The threat is already generating ripples in official circles as it is feared the situation could become violent because it could be hijacked by hoodlums.
The women’s threat was contained in a communiqué read by the leader of the group, Obongawan Arit Inyang, at the end of an emergency meeting held in Uyo, the state capital, on Wednesday.
They urged the PDP leadership not to succumb to the current pressure from such people in order not to throw the party and indeed the state into confusion.
Advising the party leaders to learn from the ugly experience of a few state chapters of the party following controversial primaries, the women cautioned against any action that could rubbish the enviable records of the PDP administration in Akwa Ibom over the years.
It would be recalled that Mr. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, believed to be the preferred choice of Governor Godswill Akpabio, emerged as candidate of PDP for the 2015 governorship election in the state.
Protesting nude is a sham concocted by Godswill Akpabio to protect his stooge Udom Emmanuel. Akpabio has a vested interested to continue ruling Akwa Ibom by proxy and this can only happen if he successfully installs his puppet Udom Emmanuel as the next governor. Should Akpabio succeed, he will hide behind Udom Emmanuel and drain the coffers of Akwa Ibom into his pocket and that of PDP.
Nka Ufon Iban is about 20 members strong (give or take 5) and was formed to beg favors from Unoma Akpabio. The chance that Unoma Akpabio will be caught without a lip-gloss on the streets of Akwa Ibom is zero. Likewise, the chances that Nka Ufon Iban can find ten of its members to appear on the streets of Akwa Ibom without a head-tie is identically zero; not to talk of protesting without a blouse.
Of course, for a bag of rice each, Akpabio can find plenty of impoverished women in Akwa Ibom who will dance on the streets naked!
The joke about protesting nude was not even a “nice try,” Akpabio needs to head back to his drawing board.