Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Nsima Ekere Resigns! Is it Better to Resign than to be Impeached?

Yesterday, the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Nsima Ekere announced his resignation from office. According to news reports, he found out some members of the State House of Assembly had perfected plans to impeach him and promptly tendered his resignation.

In the letter of resignation signed by the Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor Mr. Inemesit Ina and dated Wednesday 31st October 2012, Mr. Ekere said he was resigning on “personal grounds.”

He thanked the Governor and the good people of the state for the opportunity given him to serve the state in the last 17 months and wished the Governor and the people well in the remaining years of the administration.

Though his resignation came as a shock to many, some media reports claim that there had recently been heightened tension between himself and Governor Godswill Akpabio over his governorship ambition in 2015. The Will reports that political analysts in Akwa Ibom say Akpabio is believed to be grooming his SSG, Umana O Umana as his successor in 2015.

Further reports say that Ekere had on two instances in the last few weeks frustrated Akpabio’s plot to get assemblymen to impeach the Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Elder Sam Ikon. And so, just as Akpabio had successfully mobilized assemblymen at the State House of Assembly to begin impeachment proceedings against the Deputy Governor, he tendered his resignation.

This story sounds really fishy, like there must be more to it. But it gets me wondering, is it better to resign than to be impeached from office? If you know for certain you are going to be impeached, is it better to tender your resignation and walk away rather than have impeachment procedures leveled against you and be pushed out of office? Which one has more “glory”?