I remain Akwa Ibom Accord Party Chairman – Martins Inyang

Martin Inyang, a member of the Accord Party in the state of Akwa Ibom, insists on being recognized as the official party leader.

This comment was issued by Inyang in reaction to rumors that he had been removed from office by party officials including State Secretary Imaobong Udeng, governorship candidate Emem Kofie, and a few others in 2023.

At a press conference held not too long ago in Uyo, Udeng announced a vote of no confidence in Inyang, accusing him of working against the interests of the party, failing to ensure election victories for their candidate in his own unit, aligning the party with the PDP, and misappropriating N3.1 million provided by the gubernatorial candidate for campaign expenses.

Despite these accusations, Inyang stated in an interview on Tuesday that his would-be detractors lacked the power to remove an elected chairman, which they claim gives them the upper hand. He called their behavior “ultra vires” and questioned the constitutionality of the meeting held in the governor candidate’s campaign headquarters because it had not been authorized by the state and national parties.

With regard to the Accord Party in Akwa Ibom State, Inyang said, “I remain the elected chairman.” The party neither at the state nor the national level recognized the alleged assembly gathering at Kofie’s campaign office. There’s a rumor doing the rounds that a vote of no confidence was cast against me and I’ve been forced out of office. What procedures exist for expelling an elected party official? If Engr. Kofie wants to know what each party member is doing, he should read the party’s constitution. Can I confirm that Engr. Kofie serves on the NEC? Is he on the State Council of Leaders? Is he the head of the country?

It was also highlighted that the party’s National body had instructed them to back Bola Tinubu for president and Senator Godswill Akpabio for Senate president, and that Inyang had denied any involvement in anti-party activities. He called the allegations of anti-party behavior due to compliance with the National body’s direction extortion.

He elaborated, saying, “This is an obvious instance of blackmail. We wouldn’t be in accord if the party’s constitution gave me the authority to operate independently. They also said I was pretending to be a member of the PDP after making the transfer. I need to say how disappointed I am. We made an exception for Engr. Kofie, who traveled all the way from Abuja to join the festivities. All the help he required was given to him by us. He had always been skeptical of Tinubu and Akpabio’s chances of victory. He tried to remove me from my position as Chairman of the party unilaterally and appoint the Director General of his campaign instead, despite knowing that the party had established an alliance with Tinubu and Akpabio. Where is that happening, exactly?

To refute Kofie’s assertion that he lost his ward and unit in the presidential election, Inyang explained that he had actually won votes for President Tinubu and Senator Godswill Akpabio, but that violence in his unit had prevented him from winning the governorship. He dared Kofie and the others to disclose the outcomes of their own unit elections and proved that they did not have enough votes to win.

Inyang questioned why the N3.1 million that was purportedly paid to him could guarantee Kofie the governorship in a state with 4,354 units. When he broke it down, he found that it came to only N7 per unit, far too little to win the election. Inyang recommended that Kofie consult seasoned politicians for guidance on how to best win future elections.

To win future elections, he advised, “Kofie should consult other governors and President Tinubu.” He betrayed me after I backed him against Umo Eno. Does Kofie have any experience running for office? How can a suspended Party Secretary suddenly remove his chairman?” even the suspended Party Secretary who participated in the vote of no confidence asked.