There is tension in Idomi Ward, Yakurr Local Government Area, as All Progressives Congress (APC) members and aspirants have voiced their grievances over the alleged imposition of a councillorship candidate by the former Commissioner for Lands, Professor John Inyang, further deepening political divides within the community.
The controversy centres around the nomination process for the Idomi Council Ward councillorship, where it is alleged that the former commissioner forced the selection of his younger brother as the consensus candidate. Many in the community, including prominent figures and aspirants, claim this action violates Idomi’s zoning arrangement and represents a power grab by one family.
Ebri Inyang, Clan Head of Kabale, Obokono 1 of Idomi, voiced the frustrations of many in the community. He criticised the consolidation of political influence within one family, explaining that the former commissioner had already held office for eight years, and now his younger brother was being positioned to follow suit.
Inyang remarked, “The family will take a chairman, and also his junior brother will take the councillor. That means the family is in charge of the entire Idomi, and because of that, the Idomi sons and daughters woke up to say no, let another family produce a councillor.”
Several aspirants for the APC Idomi Council ward echoed similar concerns. Martin Eni Jr., an aspirant, expressed his disappointment with the nomination process, alleging that the ward exco, who was supposed to hold a congress to select a consensus candidate, was instead coerced into accepting the former commissioner’s choice.
“We are being threatened that no matter the extent we go since it is APC, his brother must emerge as the next councillor of Idomi ward,” he lamented.
Iferi Victor Bassey, another aspirant, described the process as lacking transparency, revealing that nine screened aspirants were locked out of the party secretariat during the primaries, only to discover later that a candidate had already been imposed.
“We were not given the privilege to enter the party secretariat for the primaries,” Bassey said, adding that “The whole Idomi community is not satisfied.”
The imposition has also fueled unrest, with some aspirants accusing the former commissioner of resorting to threats and intimidation to secure his brother’s position.
Prosper Ofem, one of the aggrieved aspirants, recounted how violence marred the process. “The whole place was quarrelling, people were telling me the former Commissioner for Lands came with his team to hijack the process, even forcing people to step down for his younger brother,” Ofem said, adding that some were threatened with guns.
Arikpo Omini, another aspirant, noted that his frustrations stem not from the financial costs incurred in the race but from the desire to see Idomi adequately represented. He called for a leader who would “listen to the cry and liberate the people of Idomi,” while condemning the imposition of candidates as an affront to fairness and justice.
When contacted about the allegations against him, Professor John Inyang denied them stating that “It’s not true.”
Furthermore, he explained, “A 50-man APC caucus, as approved by the state APC executive, sat and adopted zoning in line with party guidelines. Following the traditional zoning process in the community, which had produced 9 councillors from 1989 to 2023, the recent zoning favoured Kekowa, my village, after 32 years.
“In Kekowa, he was the only candidate who happens to be my brother, and an immediate past chapter youth leader bought the Councillorship form; hence, his village presented him to the caucus as the only candidate from the zone.”
As tensions escalate, many in the community and among the APC aspirants are calling for a resolution that respects the will of the people and adheres to the zoning formula meant to ensure equitable representation across Idomi’s various factions.