The dissolution of Akwa Ibom State cabinet last Saturday by Governor Udom Emmanuel took many people in the state by surprise. Though many people outside the state may say the governor was simply exercising his constitutional rights, residents and stakeholders believe there is a lot more to that exercise that a “mere” cabinet reshuffle.
This is mainly because reports and speculations have been rife that many of the commissioners serving in the governor’s cabinet, apart from the fact that they were inherited from the last administration of Governor Godswill Akpabio, who is now Senate Minority Leader, they were still loyal to him (Akpabio).

A development which many said Governor Udom Emmanuel was not comfortable with and had been looking for a way of dropping them so that he could have a team that is 100 per cent loyal to him.
A cursory look at the sacked Exco members reveals that out of the 22 members, 15 of them served in the Akpabio administration and were, at the end of his tenure, passed on to Udom, who absorbed them. Analysts said Udom Emmanuel inherited the commissioners as a way of showing appreciation for their role in his emergence as governor.
But it appears that after settling down in office, he has decided to be ‘his own man’ as many political analysts in the state had accused him several times of being Akpabio’s stooge.
Governor Udom’s accusers in this regards have always maintained that it is unprecedented, or at least rare, in the political history of this country that a governor would absorb 15 people who served in a previous government to make up the 22 members of his own cabinet. They argued that no matter how good those people were, it was a pointer to the fact that he had little control over who was brought on board.
The criticisms continued until last Saturday when the governor put those in that school of thought to shame by dissolving his cabinet. Daily Trust on Sunday gathered that the commissioners did not see it coming.
The statement announcing the dissolution of the cabinet did not give any reason for the action, but it was gathered that the governor after approving the dissolution travelled out of the state.
“Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State has approved the dissolution of the state executive council with immediate effect. The governor expresses his deep and profound appreciation for the contributions of the former EXCO members to the development of the state and wishes them success in their subsequent and future endeavours. The permanent secretaries in the respective ministries are to oversee the administration of the ministries until the re-constitution of a new executive council,” the statement read.
The statement was issued by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr Etekamba Umoren, and made available to newsmen in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.
This action has been seen by various quarters in the state as a daring move by the governor. Some analysts maintained that the dissolution will reduce the “overwhelming influence of his boss” Akpabio, and that he can now operate on his own terms.
A source who preferred anonymity said had it been the governor dropped only those commissioners that he inherited from his predecessors, the action would have generated more controversy, adding that it was to avoid such that he dissolved the entire EXCO.
Aside the latest development, there have been speculations of a “cold war” between Governor Udom Emmanuel and Obong Godswill Akpabio. But both parties have since denied that, insisting that all was well between them.
“It’s a matter of time. Let’s just wait and see what happens. But I promise you that soon, it will be evident that the relationship has gone sour,” the source said.
A resident of Itam in Itu Local Government Area of the state, Iniobong Nsikak, however insisted that Governor Udom Emmanuel cannot go against Senator Akpabio. He said the governor could only do that after he is re-elected in 2019.
Nsikak, who spoke to correspondent, said he was sure that Akpabio was aware of the dissolution and must have consented to it.
“Whenever I hear people say that Governor Udom Emmanuel is trying to be on his own and disconnect from Godswill Akpabio, I just laugh. Governor Udom is a good and forthright man, but he is not a politician. He was brought in from the bank by Akpabio and made the governor. So what do you expect? He must be loyal to Akpabio, at least for now. Akpabio still has overreaching goodwill in the state and with the machineries the All Progressive Congress (APC) is putting in place to take over Akwa Ibom in 2019, the governor cannot afford to be on different page with Akpabio and he knows it.
“The Akpabio that I know wouldn’t mind to sponsor another candidate from anywhere, including the APC, should Governor Udom Emmanuel dare him. Akpabio is a more experienced politician, as far as Akwa Ibom is concerned, so I beg to disagree with those saying that the dissolution of the cabinet is intended to reduce Akpabio’s influence in the state. And just watch it, even if the Akpabio’s boys in the dissolved cabinet don’t make it back, the new cabinet will still have Akpabio’s men,” he said.
Meanwhile, strategic moves, lobbying and serious politicking have commenced by the commissioners. Daily Trust on Sunday learnt that many of them are working hard to make it back to the cabinet. Our correspondent reports that some of the sacked commissioners have openly offered themselves for further services to the state, saying they were “not yet tired”.
One of such is the former commissioner for Information, Aniekan Umanah, who last Tuesday hosted members of press to what he called a farewell dinner. He was one of the longest serving commissioners, having been in the saddle since 2008.
After expressing gratitude to the former governor, Godswill Akpabio and Governor Udom Emmanuel for giving him the opportunity to serve the state all these years, he (Umanah) added that he was still prepared to render services to the state and that he was not yet tired.
Those who attended the dinner included the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, Ekerete Udoh, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Information, special advisers and other government officials.
At the dinner, both Umanah and the CPS revealed that they had been friends for nearly 30 years, and denied rumour that they were not in good terms. The CPS equally thanked
Umanah for the services he rendered to the state.
Seen as a core “Akpabio boy” analysts say Umanah is the brain behind the “fantastic” image of Akwa Ibom State presented to the world.
On Wednesday, however, the tempo in the state changed from the “joyful/sad” reaction of the cabinet dissolution to curiosity as reports had it that Governor Udom Emmanuel had already sent the names of commissioner nominees to the state House of Assembly for approval and that it would be considered the next day, which was Thursday. That did not happen, thereby heightening anxiety across the state.
When contacted, the Press Secretary of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Kufre Okon, told our correspondent that no letter was received from the governor to that effect and that the House had not been sitting due to oversight functions by the legislators and other activities.
He added that whether or not such thing was in the offing would be confirmed on Tuesday when the House sits.
When asked if the list had been sent in, but was yet to be tabled because the House, he said he was not in the position to answer that question.
So, until next week when the list of the new commissioners would be made known, lobbying would continue, just as speculations and rumours would remain the order of the day.