•Former Akwa Ibom State governor, Udom Emmanuel
● He looks simple, suave and friendly. He possesses a subtle charisma that draws people to him like moths to a flame. That is because he is not threatening or intimidating in his mien. Unlike the typical macho image portrayed by some rugged Nigerian politicians, he breaks the stereotype with his pleasant and unassuming appearance. But despite not fitting the traditional mould of toughness, Udom Emmanuel, the immediate past governor of Akwa Ibom State is as tough as a nail.
● Yes! With his impeccable manners and disarming simplicity, he effortlessly brightens the lives of those around him. But this man is blessed with a unique form of strength, decisiveness and willpower that sets him apart from many.
● What makes a lion, a lion, says an African proverb, is not the size but the heart. If it were the size, lions would not dare to take down the buffaloes, the giraffes and the zebras. It takes a lion’s heart to have a lion’s share. Maybe this is a metaphor for Udom Emmanuel. Many cannot wait to read his memoirs. It is bound to be a blockbuster.
● But as the Governor of Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria for two terms of eight years, Udom Emmanuel showed time and time again that toughness comes in many forms. His tenacity, resilience, and unwavering determination in facing challenges and making tough decisions demonstrated nothing short of inner courage and valour.
● While his demeanour did not exude a threatening presence, Udom Emmanuel’s actions as Governor spoke volumes about his true character. Whether it was in taking bold steps to bring about positive changes in Akwa Ibom or, standing up against adversity, or fearlessly tackling complex issues, Udom Emmanuel proved that true toughness lies in integrity, resolve, and the willingness to stand firmly for what is right and beneficial to the generality of the people.
● For many who worked closely with him as Governor, Udom Emmanuel exemplifies the fact that courage is not always loud or aggressive. Instead, it can be quiet, steadfast, and unwavering, making a profound impact on those around him and the people he served.
● Ambassador Assam Assam, SAN, former Nigerian Ambassador to Russia, was one of Udom Emmanuel’s gubernatorial opponents during the first coming of Udom Emmanuel. There were 23 PDP Governorship aspirants. Godswill Akpabio, the Governor, preferred Udom Emmanuel above and over the 22 others, including Ambassador Assam, Nsima Ekere, Chris Abasieyo, and others. The 22 aspirants, later known as G22, ganged up against Udom Emmanuel’s nomination and relocated to Abuja to fight and displace Udom Emmanuel as the PDP candidate. They met every relevant leader of the PDP in Abuja, including a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan at about 2am.
Soon after Governor Akpabio got wind that G22 had gone as far as meeting the President and that the President had made a solid commitment to review the PDP primaries in Akwa Ibom and Kwara, Akpabio landed in Abuja to seek a meeting with the G22. The meeting took place in the G22 Secretariat, donated by Benjamin Okoko, a former Governorship aspirant, and Governor Akpabio arrived in the company of his preferred Governorship candidate, Udom Emmanuel. The meeting was fireworks from start to finish.
● Nsima Ekere, in his capacity as a former Deputy Governor, was the leader of G22, but it was Assam Assam who took charge as the spokesperson of G22. He spoke angrily to Governor Akpabio and chided him for putting the cart before the horse. “To say the truth and to put it mildly, Assam lectured Governor Akpabio and restrained him from dominating the meeting as he wanted to”, said a source who was at that meeting.
● Assam told Governor Akpabio at one point that ‘knowing who you are, I’m not sure this man (Udom Emmanuel) would be able to work with you’. At that point, Udom Emmanuel unexpectedly jumped into the verbal affray. He did not even have time to speak in English but burst out angrily in vernacular. “Ah! Chief Assam, nso ke afo atatang, nso ke asetatang ikö ntom, Chief kutang ikö ntoro…Kpöng idem… Kpöng idem ke mkpödo…” (Ah! Chief Assam, what are you really talking about? Why are you talking like this… Don’t talk like that again…Leave that topic… Don’t dabble into that topic again…”
● At that point, Governor Akpabio had a momentary respite in the face of 22 eminently qualified, respected and aggressive opponents. He knew he had a successor who, though he looked gentle and went to Church a lot, could stand up to any opponent. He felt like the man described in the Song of Degrees for King Solomon: “Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. How blessed [happy and fortunate] is the man whose quiver is filled with them; They will not be ashamed; When they speak with their enemies at the [city] gate”.
● Chief Assam learnt something, too, from that encounter. “Yes, I knew Udom Emmanuel. Very stable and had a good upbringing. As Governor, he was not going to come here and throw away all his years of work ethic for a few years of politics. So, I knew that nothing was going to stop him from doing what was right according to his own conviction. And that is what he did throughout his time as Governor”, Assam said.
● The learned silk was talking about Udom Emmanuel as a man of conviction and commitment, even in matters of faith. Said Assam: “He is publicly very religious. He makes no bones about that. He brought institutions of religion into governance and believed wholly in the Christian tenets. Against every opposition, he built a temple to buttress that and dedicated it to the worship of the Almighty God. He covenanted Akwa Ibom State to God without blinking an eyelid. So when he came to us and said it wasn’t his decision as to who would be the Governor, but God, and then he brought Pastor Eno, we knew that, yes, though there is always a human interface, he was convinced the choice of Umo Eno was divine”.
● During his time as Governor, said Assam: “he brought his training as a corporate executive to bear in the public sector. You see, Anietie, in ten years’ time, you and I sitting here will be amazed by what this State will derive from eight years of Udom Emmanuel which no one has given him credit for yet. It is unbelievable. Forget the highways and expressways, but the establishment of the industrial zone with accreditation for the export of goods, the establishment of an oil and gas free trade zone, the establishment of Akwa Ibom State hub for petroleum exports and gas, the aviation hub, all these economic landmarks which regular people may not even understand yet, are products of incredible courage. In the near future, when people start understanding these issues and buy into these projects when our deep sea ports are achieved, and we get one industry to produce natural or liquified gas as a sustainable measure of raising revenue for our State, and we stop going to the federation account for money; you cannot believe what this State will look like”, Assam said.
● “Not only that,” said Assam. “Even for daring to bring a pastor as a successor, a man without sophistication, no pretences, no ego, no political experience and then declare that this Eket pastor will perform 100 times better than him, an international banker…That is a mark of uncommon courage. I give him a lot of credit for that. Everyone had said he could not produce a successor because he doesn’t look bullish and isn’t a tough talker or could not say ‘who born dog’, but said that he is a child of grace and grace was enough. Anietie, that’s not only faith; that’s courage.”
●For Emmanuel Enoidem, SAN, one of the insiders of the Udom Emmanuel’s Administration, and a former National Legal Adviser of the PDP, the former Governor, was not just a man of courage but a great strategist. “Yes, he may not look intimidating and threatening , but he is not only very courageous but a great strategist. If you underrate Udom Emmanuel’s strength in strategic planning, it is at your own peril. We had such a fortress in him. On top of that, he is a prayer warrior. At no time in his eight years as governor did he entertain any fear about his success, whether in political battles or developmental issues. I must, however, confess that since 1999, the election of Umo Eno remains one of the most complex elections in the history of Akwa Ibom State, and I am well placed to say so”.
● The view of Prince Enobong Uwah, the present Secretary to the State Government, who was the Secretary General of the Maintain Peace Movement, MPM, the Organisation that midwifed the birth of Umo Eno as a governorship candidate, is that Udom Emmanuel never betrayed any doubt about the divine choice of Pastor Umo Eno as his successor. “I have not seen anyone quite like Udom Emmanuel. When we were on the MPM project, once in a while, we would send our situation reports to him and asked him, Sir, do you want us to send in at least three names of possible successors for you to choose from and his answer was always a capital NO. He would say: ‘do not worry yourselves about that because God will give me one person and that when that time comes he will be my one and only choice’. Now, fast forward to when Pastor Umo Eno was unveiled, many people went to the governor to say: ‘have you seen this and that issue about Pastor Umo Eno’. But Governor Udom Emmanuel’s standard answer was Pastor Umo Eno is my Plan A, Plan B, Plan C to Z”.
● According to Monday Ebong Uko, the longest serving Commissioner and Executive Council member in Akwa Ibom State, who has served in the cabinet of three Governors from Godswill Akpabio till now: “There are three people I have met in this life that I know are very very spiritually strong. Udom Emmanuel is one of them…In the case of Pastor Umo Eno, someone else would have chickened out when the storm and the heat were too much. This last election was not an ordinary election. The heat was there from top to bottom. The political atmosphere was charged. The word ‘Dead on Arrival’, DOD, was used to describe the choice of Umo Eno by Udom Emmanuel, then the threat of ‘Federal Might’ came, that every election institution belongs to the Federal Government…There was nothing that was not at play at that point in time, but Udom Emmanuel stood still. Even the present Governor has told us that he walked up to the former Governor one day when the heat was too much and said Sir, let me step down and then the Governor told him, are you sure you’ve eaten today? Go and have something to eat”. He was very strong. As far as I am concerned, that is how a leader should be”.
● According to the Dean of Commissioners, who is fondly called Monty by all, whenever there was any adverse development that threatened every cabinet member, and he (Monty) would bring it to the attention of Governor Udom Emmanuel, the man would say: “Da Monty, the election is done and dusted. Leave all those noise makers alone. When the chips are down, we will win and win fair and square”.
● For Monty, Udom Emmanuel’s source of strength was only God. “I think he got that strength from his strong belief in God. Udom Emmanuel is very deep spiritually. I must confess to you. That man does not miss his daily prayer hours, no matter what happens. He does not play with anything that has to do with God. You can say every other thing you want to say against him, but he believes so much in God”.
● Monty recalled the explosive reelection campaign of Udom Emmanuel in 2019, in which Udom Emmanuel stood against nearly all the political bigwigs of the State, led by Senator Godswill Akpabio, Senator John James Akpan Udoedehe and Nsima Ekere, the former MD/CEO of NDDC, among others. Very few thought Udom stood a chance of reelection as Governor. That election was nicknamed by opponents of Udom Emmanuel as “Warsaw Saw War”. But Udom Emmanuel’s slogan for his reelection campaign was “ONLY GOD”.
● The result of that election was a shocker nationally. Even Godswill Akpabio, the former State Governor who had defected to the APC, was defeated in a senatorial election. Nsima Ekere, the handsome APC Governorship candidate, was defeated even in his Local Government Area. The noses of every political opponent of Udom Emmanuel were bloodied, so to speak. It was a replica of the battle between David and Goliath.
● Said Monty about that election: “During his 2019 election, there were about 36 of us at the Presidential Lodge on the eve of that election, and I can mention those who were there. They included Senator Bassey Albert Akpan (OBA), Onofiok Luke, and in all the Local Government Areas, we had one coordinator at that meeting. Something remarkable happened. Udom did something that, from that day until tomorrow, I still know and believe, and nobody can change my mind that God loves that man.
“That last night of ‘Warsaw Saw War’, on the eve of the election, we were at the Presidential Guest House within the perimeters of the Government House. 36 or 37 of us were in that meeting.
● “When we finished that short meeting, Governor Udom said to us, ‘Hold your hands’, and we all joined our hands. You can confirm this with those who were there. Prince Ukpong Akpabio was there, and I was there, OBA was there, Onofiok Luke was there, Enoidem was there, Victor Etefia was there, Glory Edet was there, Iraq (Emmanuel Ekpeyong) was there, Etido Inyang was there, Udo Ekpeyong was there, Udo Kerian was there, Enobong Uwah was there, Aniekan Bassey was there, Felicia Bassey was there, Frank Achibong was there, and Edmond Ufang was there, I can go on and on…
● “We held our hands and prayed, but when Udom started praying, the place shook. It was as if each and every one of us was pumped up with power, and when he ended the prayers, none of us could remember to talk to anyone. Everything in us, body, soul, and spirit, was fixed in winning our LGAs. And I remember the last thing that Udom said in the prayers. He said, ‘God, do this because the glory is yours, and take the glory forever because no man can take this glory from you’, and we all left. Ask any of these people I have mentioned what happened on that night…Anybody who was there will tell you that he had an encounter with God after Udom Emmanuel finished praying, and we all left with strength and power. The next day, we won a landslide victory. So Udom Emmanuel is one man who is very deep when it comes to the things of God. He might have made mistakes like all humans, but he is very solid when it comes to God”.
● Apostle Lawrence Achudume, a preacher, an international conference speaker, and the Senior Pastor of Victory Life Bible Church International, Abeokuta, has been a close family friend of Udom Emmanuel long before he became a politician. During the eight years of Udom Emmanuel, he remained close and regularly prayed together with the governor. He knows Udom probably more than most people do, and he has this to say about his friend:
● “He is one of the most intelligent human beings that I can think of in Nigeria. I used to say if given the chance, Udom Emmanuel can change the fortunes of this country. He has the wherewithal to rule this country. He is a man of great wisdom. He knows what is right, and he is one leader I know that truly fears God. He is a man of covenant, and God is with him. He loves Akwa Ibom passionately. He doesn’t fight back when you fight or even hurt him. His type is rare.
● “There were pastors who were against him, and he would go and worship in their Churches. They were fighting him, and he was buying them cars; he knew they were fighting him, and he didn’t bother. Some of them would speak against him, and they would still come and ask him for school fees for their children, and he would give them. He is a man who feeds his enemies. That is his life. You can’t find him in bitterness. Very forgiving. Extremely forgiving. Udom is an extraordinary man…He fought battles without shooting an arrow, never replying to any insults or retaliating. And he had all the arsenal to fight back and wound his enemies, but he chose not to. Udom and his wife are good people. Though I am a pastor, I learn a lot from their lives”.
● Yes! Udom Emmanuel owes much of these attributes to God. But many also attribute his success to Martha, the virtuous woman he has as a wife. She is a simple, calm, very down-to-earth, knowledgeable and wise. The godly influence she exudes shows up even from a distance. Beyond all of that, she is a woman that has won the undiluted confidence of the husband. As the Bible puts it: “the heart of her husband safely trusts her” that she can greatly enrich his life.
● These credentials made her the numero uno and premier member of Governor Udom Emmanuel’s Kitchen Cabinet. In other words, the right-hand man of Governor Udom Emmanuel was a woman. Her name is Dr. Mrs. Martha Udom Emmanuel. “She was his eyes. She would make him see reason on many issues and the Governor knew so well that Martha can never give him wrong advise”, a close member of the family said.
● According to Martha herself: “There were a lot of pretenders who used to come around him to say pleasant things; and I used to tell them, ‘Look, if something is wrong, tell him the truth so that he knows. Don’t come here and paint the picture that all is well. Meanwhile, the reverse is the case. He is not omnipotent and can’t be everywhere to know everything. So tell him the truth now”.
● It was the quest for truth and the courage of conviction to pursue it that set Udom Emmanuel apart as one of the most accomplished governors in Akwa Ibom State.
☆ Culled from the book, AND IT CAME TO PASS, by ANIETIE USEN
*Anietie Usen is Senior Special Assistant Media to the Governor of Akwa Ibom State. He is also a regular contributor to The Frontier.
