An era has ended. An era is about to begin. Indeed, life provides no higher satisfaction than surmounting difficulties, passing from one step of success to another, forming new wishes and seeing them gratified. You may love or loathe him. You may adore or abjure him. You may hate or venerate him. You may detest or deify him. But what you surely cannot do is to ignore Hon Barr Emmanuel Enoidem.
Today marks his 4th anniversary as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, National Working Committee, NWC, as well as his official end of tenure and exit as the party’s National Legal Adviser, NLA. Barr Enoidem not only bows out as the party’s longest serving National Legal Adviser but one with unrivalled record of positive reforms and achievements unmatched by any PDP NLA since the inception of the party in 1998.
As the party’s NLA, he superitended over 150 cases in the various High Courts across the country, over 50 appeals at the various Divisions of the Court of Appeal and close to 30 appeals at the Supreme Court of Nigeria. Most significantly is the fact that he executed his mandate without incurring a dime against the party as legal fees. This is in total contrast to the over #3 billion the Secondus-led NWC inherited when they took over on December 10 2017.
As National Legal Adviser, he did his job meritoriously and meticulously. Looking back, he can confidently beat his chest and say; I came, I saw, I conquered, because his tenure has been fruitful and fulfilling, spiced with daring innovative and reformative policies and actions that are unprecedented in the history of the legal department of the party.
On one hand, with his party’s national assignment at Wadata Plaza over, His Excellency, Governor Udom Emmanuel has bestowed on him yet another mandate- the task to lead at this historic moment, a mass movement to sustain the peace in Akwa Ibom State, a clarion call to mobilize and rally all peace loving Akwaibomites towards embracing the Completion Agenda of the Governor for the good of the people and State as National Chairman of Maintain Peace Movement, MPM. On Friday, November 19, 2021, Barr Enoidem was inaugurated as the National Chairman of Maintain Peace Movement, MPM, Akwa Ibom’s foremost grassroot mobilisation organisation aimed at galvanizing, rallying and mobilizing Akwa Ibom residents and citizens both at home and in the diaspora to embrace, nurture and consolidate on the prevailing peace in the State and sustaining it beyond 2023.
On the other hand, his people are also saying, it is time for the people’s assignment at the Red Chambers come 2023 as the call to have him represent the collective hopes and aspirations of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District in the Senate gathers momentum.
You see, no matter what critics say, do or plot, when the Almighty puts a stamp of approval on your name, they take care of everything and clear the path to succeed and fame for you. They not only ensure that you do not depart from the path of success, they also guarantee that your rivals and presumed foes will fall over their heads to register one misstep after another all in a metaphysically sanctioned directive to make your success a certainty.
The situation becomes more graceful if you have a tremendous amount of goodwill with the electorate, one that is not because of how much money you have to throw around but the trust, confidence, loyalty and credibility built over the years like Enoidem has done with his people. This explains why he is seen as a game changer come 2023 as far as the Ikot Ekpene Senate seat is concerned.
If there is one Senatorial aspirant with the depth of understanding, political ingenuity and moral fortitude needed to galvanize a people, Emmanuel Enoidem is the man.
He is a consummate politician.
He is a versatile schemer and strategist.
He is a grassroot mobilizer.
He is meticulous.
He is methodical.
He is reflective.
He has the boldness of his convictions.
He has character.
He has integrity.
He is intensely focused.
He is totally loyal.
He is firm and determined.
He is righteously stubborn in standing by and for what he believes is right and just.
Imbued with an uncommon ability and resilience, Barr Enoidem is a classic exemplar of grace under pressure, sacrifice under ambition and patriotism over self. Gentle but manly when it matters, always guided by a moral compass that does not waver according to the circumstance. He does not change his beliefs by the situation. Instead of bending his principles to fit the situation, he always exercises the moral fortitude and courage to make the situation subservient to his principles and beliefs. He personifies honour, simplicity, humility and grace.
Urbane, ever curious and intellectually alert, you must give it to Barr Enoidem that he is an acute political cardiologist when it comes to reading the political heart beat of the state. He always knows when things are going awry and when to make bold, patriotic and selfless moves on the political chessboard for the good of the state, it’s future and posterity. Being a notable habinues of the political crematorium, he knows where the ashes are kept.
Once his mind is made on an issue, it is irreversible and he has a unique ability and charisma of galvanizing the people to come together to the logic of his convictions and beliefs. He has an analytical mind thus, his ability to gather the brightest and the best into his team for the good of the Senatorial District and Akwa Ibom State in general will not be hamstrung by limited exposure or lack of depth.
Widely admired by many, openly courted by significant segment of the state and fanatically endorsed by millions of voters from even outside his Senatorial District, Barr Enoidem is seen as one Senatorial aspirant capable of healing the wounds of the past and help in returning the state to the glorious future we all dream to consolidate upon.
A quiet and reticent fellow devoted to the upliftment of humanity, lavishing kindness and affection on all who come his way without any ethnic or religious bias. Enoidem is a model Nigerian and Akwaibomite, detribalized, visionary and possessing an analytical mindset. Despite his accomplishment as a successful lawyer and politician, he does not push himself or push anybody around. He is a life of humility and studied self-effacement. He is exceptionally brilliant but not puffy, well-heeled but not extravagant, always showing up without superciliousness.
History beckons and Enoidem no doubt is a power broker, a good and consistent student of politics who is coming in to bridge the gap between expectation and reality. This is true owing to the ideological clarity of his ambition. Like him or hate him, he is an eloquent speaker with intellectual tenacity and a robust predisposition for constructive political engagement and dialogue. No other 2023 aspirant for the Ikot Ekpene Senatorial seat come can lay claim to greater political sagacity, eloquence, and of course popularity and acceptability among major stakeholders than Enoidem.
Because the people are optimistic that with him as their next Senator, he possesses the key ingredient necessary to sustain their collective hopes, dreams and aspirations and sustain democracy and engender peace and stability, understand and canonize his people’s manifest destiny, inspire and imbue his constituents with a sense of mission, and establish a long bridge between the noble past, a great present and a lofty future.
Born on July 27, 1964, Barr Emmanuel Moses Enoidem attended the University of Science and Technology, Rivers State where he read Law and attended the Nigerian Law School in Victoria Island, Lagos. The Etim Ekpo born lawyer and politician served as Executive Chairman Etim Ekpo LGA-1997-1998, State Publicity Secretary, NBA, Akwa Ibom State-1996-1998, Legal Adviser, Social Democratic Party (SDP), Etim Ekpo-1992- 1993, Private Legal Practice, Enoidem & Associates since 1992.
He was appointed Assistant Lecturer in the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on the 23rd of November, 1992 where he taught at the Faculty of Law. In 1996, he got his LLM from the University of Uyo. He passed the SEP 90 of the London Business School (LBS) in 2016.
Aside being a member of Professional bodies such as the Nigerian Bar Association in 1889, ASUU in 1992, the Nigerian Law Teachers Association in 1992, and just recently, Fellow Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators, Barr Enoidem also served as PDP State Treasurer, Akwa Ibom State, 2001-2007, 2007 PDP State Elections Central Planning Committee, Supervisory- Commissioner, Housing & Urban Renewal- 2013-2014, Commissioner for Special Duties-2013-2015, Commissioner for Investment, Commerce and Industry from 2015 – 2016, Secretary Akwa Ibom State PDP Election Planning Council-2015, among others.
