PDP EXCO MEMBER FABIAN EMMANUEL ACCUSES ANIEKAN AKPAN OF MANIPULATING ASSEMBLY TICKET, SIDELINING ASPIRANTS
Fresh controversy has erupted within the Peoples Democratic Party in Akwa Ibom State following allegations by the Assistant Organising Secretary of the Aniekan Akpan-led faction, Fabian Emmanuel, that the party leadership deliberately frustrated his ambition to contest for the State House of Assembly despite earlier assurances.
In a lengthy statement circulated online, Fabian accused the State Chairman of the faction, Aniekan Akpan, of allegedly misleading aspirants over the availability and sale of nomination forms while secretly working to exclude certain party members from the process.
The aggrieved PDP chieftain claimed that members aligned with the “Akwa Ibom United” political structure were encouraged to prepare for the elections and made to believe they would participate in the process, only to later discover that the arrangement had allegedly been tilted in favour of APC-backed interests.
According to him, despite a public announcement by the party chairman that nomination forms were available for sale, several aspirants were allegedly subjected to endless delays, redirections and frustration until the deadline elapsed.
Fabian described the development as a betrayal of loyal party members, accusing the leadership of humiliating aspirants and undermining internal democracy within the party.
He further alleged that the entire process reflected growing impunity within the PDP structure in the state, insisting that party members were denied fair participation despite fulfilling necessary requirements and being financially prepared to obtain the forms.
The politician maintained that he neither withdrew voluntarily nor lacked the financial capacity to purchase the nomination form, stressing that “the system” simply worked against him and others who had hoped to contest.
As of the time of filing this report, the PDP leadership in the state had yet to officially respond to the allegations raised by the party chieftain.
