Atiku Abubakar? That is the last name on any local politician an Akwa Iboms lips. Atiku is news of yesterday as Akwa Ibom PDP struggles for its survival.
After the massive loss at the polls during the presidential election, PDP has shrunk from a national movement to individual battles in all of the states. With the federal government being run by the APC, and Atiku refusing to release any more money (except to the lawyers battling his case), each state has been cut adrift, and is battling on its own.
While many states have tribal collaborations, Akwa Ibom is a stand-alone state that is ethnically only related to Cross-River. But Cross-River does not have the oil allocations that Akwa Ibom has - and hence cannot help Akwa Ibom in the election.
With most of the progressive politicians in Akwa Ibom having moved to the APC, all that the PDP has left are the older politicians, many of whom are in the late 60s and 70s. With all the young, smart ideas working against them, these politicians are running their final battle for control of the state.
The people on the street are tired of the same old names running the state, and this was clearly demonstrated in the national election, where the APC took the majority of the actual votes, in spite of heavy rigging by the PDP.
It is expected that Atiku has faded from the memory of Akwa Ibomites as they think of the best way to select a new governor on saturday.
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