By Emmanuel Uffot
For the Chieftains, members, supporters and followers of Young Progressive Party (YPP) in Akwa Ibom State, it is celebration time as their governorship candidate Senator Albert Akpan popularly known as OBA convicted by a Federal High Court in Uyo presided by Justice Agatha Okeke on December 1, 2023 regain freedom on Wednesday December 28, 2022 after a High Court in Port Harcourt River State granted him bail on health grounds pending the determination of his appeal at the Appeal Court.
So, consequently YPP chieftains and supporters flooded the streets on Thursday to celebrate his release.
At his IFA Recreation Arena in Uyo which served as the campaign headquarters of YPP, AIG Asuquo Amba Rtd who is the deputy governorship candidate of YPP said his release was God answer to their prayer. According to Amba, his conviction should be seen as divine by God to help him to save inmates of prison given the humanitarian and philanthropic gestures he exhibited while there at Ikot Ekpene Correctional Centre some of them being buying over 200 mattresses for inmates paying fine for inmates, helping some indigent convicts by facilitating their release through payment of thier fine which was option for their freedom and providing medical support to inmates.
Also speaking, Senator Albert’s wife Pastor Mrs Imaobong Albert beeming with smiles who had been going on with the campaign while her husband was in Prison re-echoed her husband promises see to the welfare of all Akwa Ibom people if voted into power. She enjoined the people to vote for who will best represent their interest. She said OBA’s incarceration, had rather embolden and give her hope that they will triumph at the end.
Other top notch YPP leaders who expressed their gratitude to God for the release of the party gubernatorial flagbearer were Sir Emem Akpabio, the Chairman Campaign Council of OBA and Pastor Sunny Ibuot, the Director General of the Campaign Council.
It could be recalled that before the YPP governorship conviction, he was already making significant penetration into the nooks and crannies of the state garnering supporters with his message of hope. It is this message and his pedigree as a philanthropist that has attracted many followers who see him as a person that will bring succour to the downtrodden. His popularity which he carried to YPP an hitherto unknown party in the state within a short time he left PDP to pick the party ticket has reflected on the level of acceptance of YPP even in villsgesand communities across the state.
However what has surprised many political onlookers is the chieftains and members of YPP were consistently assuring their supporters that the Senator will soon breath air of freedom even on bail before the outcome of the appeal, and this came to pass.
At a meeting in the country home of a prominent grassroot politician in Nsit Ubium Pastor Samuel Akpan which was convened by Barrister Ime Bassey, the House of Assembly candidate of YPP for Nsit Ubium State Constituency to inform party members of the planned defection of Pastor Akpan from PDP to YPP, he had informed party faithfuls not to lose hope that OBA will soon be release and he will be the next governor. So that this assurance from the House of Assembly candidate and that of Party chieftains has become a reality has continue to surprise political observers in the state.
Also worthy of note is that the hasty conviction of the YPP candidate by the court without an option fine which any supporters of the candidate and admirers believed was politically. Motivated, has brought him more supporters across the state, who many believe might translate the YPP governorship candidate getting many sympathy votes at the forthcoming election barring the outcome of the pending appeal.
For now it is celebration in YPP both in Akwa Ibom and the party National hierarchy who see the hand of God in his release pointing to a good omen.
Although the nature of OBA’s health problem that led to the Port Harcourt Court granting him bail was unknown as at the time of this report, but sources claimed he lost appetite and was not eating and appeared withdrawn contrary to his usual boisterous mien at the Correctional Centre always joking and chatting with both inmates and personnel of the Custodian Centre.
However, now that he is out on bail pending the outcome of the appeal, even as the gubernatorial candidate of YPP has not commented on the issue, we gathered the campaign is expected to begin in earnest after Christmas and New Year break with more vigour. Again findings revealed that the attention of party faithfuls and many is said now to be focus on the pending appeal even as sources said his release though on bail has brought some discomfort to the camp of the ruling PDP.
