The atmosphere in the Akwa Ibom state chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is currently thick with tension after two separate political processes produced two different governorship candidates. Hon. Eyakekpono Obo and Sen. John Udoedeghe have both stepped forward to claim the party's ticket for the 2027 election. This move has left party faithfuls scratching their heads and worried that their house is about to fall before the campaign even gains real momentum.
Barr. Mfon Peter, who participated in the primary contest against Sen. John Udoedeghe, isn't taking the result lying down. He has openly vowed to fight the outcome in court, claiming the entire exercise was a circus that ignored every rule in the book. He insists that what the party officials called a primary election was nothing more than a carefully scripted drama designed to hand the ticket to a predetermined winner.
"Sincerely, I reject that result in its entirety. That result is completely false, and I reject it with all that I have. It is completely concocted."
Barr. Mfon Peter's frustration stems from a timeline that simply doesn't add up for him. He claims he was with the primary election committee at 6 PM on Friday, only to be told an hour later that they were already at his ward in Ibiono Ibom. He questions how the committee could've possibly managed to conduct transparent elections across 349 wards and 31 local government areas in such a short window of time.
He alleges that the committee members shifted the goalposts by moving the exercise to Saturday, May 23, without bothering to inform him or his supporters. While his camp was waiting in the fields on Friday for officials who never showed up, the result sheets were already being prepared behind closed doors. He points out that none of his agents signed off on these results. In the world of Nigerian party politics, this is a red flag that screams fraud.
The scale of the irregularities cited by Barr. Mfon Peter suggests a deliberate effort to keep him out of the loop. He specifically highlighted that elections failed to take place in more than 20 local government areas, including the entire Eket senatorial district and areas like Oron, Nsit Ibom, and Uruan. The party guidelines state that accreditation must start at 8 AM and wrap up by noon, with the actual voting ending at 2 PM. He contends these rules were ignored to facilitate a predetermined outcome for Sen.
John Udoedeghe.
He argues that by being excluded from nominating the three people meant to represent his interest on the electoral committee, his path to a fair contest was blocked from the very start. The committee, led by Mr. Titus Ejoor, allegedly drove around with the other aspirant, ensuring the process favored their preferred candidate. Barr. Mfon Peter has filed a formal petition with the ADC’s governorship election Appeal Committee and is waiting for them to act.
He has made it clear that a courtroom battle is his next stop if the internal process fails him.
For the average party member in Akwa Ibom, this internal squabble is a grim sign. The ADC, which often positions itself as an alternative to the major political heavyweights, now finds itself struggling with the same issues of internal party democracy that plague the larger platforms. If the leadership can't iron out this dispute, the party faces the risk of seeing its votes split or, worse, being disqualified entirely if the legal challenges drag on into the election period.
Sen. John Udoedeghe is no stranger to the volatile nature of Akwa Ibom politics, and his involvement in this crisis brings a lot of baggage and experience to the fore. As a veteran of the state’s political landscape, his camp likely sees the primary result as a done deal, regardless of the cries of foul play coming from the other side. The party hierarchy's decision on whether to support the process that led to his declaration or order a fresh primary remains the million-naira question. For now, the ADC remains a house divided, with the shadow of a long, expensive legal tussle looming over their 2027 ambitions.