Two Years of Paul ‘Politics’ Ekpo-Led PDP: Offering A New Dawn
By Martins Inyangetoh
……….It was Peter Drucker that said “most effective leaders don’t seem to say ‘I’ not because they are trained not to say ‘I’ but they don’t think ‘I’ instead they think ‘We,’ they think ‘Team’ and they understand their job to be to make the team function.” This, in simple terms, explains the effective leadership that the Obong Paul ‘Politics’ Ekpo-led PDP has brought, specifically in giving a facelift in the socio-political activities of the Akwa Ibom State Chapter of the party. It is even more gladdening to know that the party’s success story, under the leadership of Governor Udom Emmanuel, cannot be told without kudos to its amiable Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong. He has, indeed, been of immense support to his dynamic boss, the State Chairman of the Party, Obong Ekpo.
To many, it was a divine arrangement that the duo emerged victorious in the May 10, 2016 State Congress as the first State Chairman to return the Second time in the political lexicon of the party since its inception and the youngest cum cerebral, innovative, intellectual, dexterous, humble but proactive and civil gentleman as the State Publicity Secretary respectively. With their sterling leadership style, the story of rebranding, repositioning and restructuring the party has been made manifest. It was/is indeed an unprecedented feat recorded and has remained evergreen in the minds of members and supporters of the PDP family.
While Obong Ekpo opens a new chapter in the political history of the party by aligning with the political inclusion policy of Governor Udom Emmanuel, Comrade Ememobong complements the effort by broadening the horizon through precise publicity of the party’s activities, innovation and representation of good governance. In fact, Comrade Ememobong has represented and transmitted the message of good governance in its most comprehensive manner to the people of the state at all levels. Laudable amongst the many innovations brought to the party by the Ini Ememobong-led Publicity Unit are the official monthly magazine of the party, The Scroll; The Umbrella Radio Programme and The Umbrella Business Quest Programme. Efforts are on top gear to replicate these programmes, which currently run on Planet FM and Comfort FM, in other radio and Television station in the state. Aside the above, the Publicity Unit has also taken the activities of the party to various social media platforms as well as local and national tabloids. The Unit has also organized sensitization and orientation exercises for Media Practitioners, Party men and women among others. These and many more have contributed immensely to the birth of a new dawn in the party.
There has been renewed strength, willingness and readiness of the leadership of the party to put it back on track, a party where unity, fair play, equity and justice thrive. Little wonder many have reaffirmed their belief, hope and faith in the party. Many who left are returning with so much zeal to support the rebranding process of the party.
Nevertheless, the constitution of a hi-tech Media Team by Comrade Ememobong sent an inconceivable signal to the opposition party that the task of being an opposition is a very difficult one, especially when the party in power has an unmatched Media Unit led by a nonpareil Media Head. To the opposition party, it was a challenge to live up to expectation by matching words for words and actions for actions. The difference is still clear from the days of Engr Ita Awak, who could not match Comrade Ememobong, whose stance in politics has been “Let’s not politicize humanity, let’s humanize politics.” Indeed, the two years of Paul Ekpo’s leadership is offering a new dawn for the PDP.
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