Akwa Ibom State Governor Mr Udom Emmanuel has drawn a battle line with his predecessor, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
Emmanuel at a grand endorsement rally Monday by the people of Eket Senatorial district held at the Onna Township Stadium said he would expose facts and figures about Akpabio’s administration if he was challenged.
The governor said he was ready to spend his personal resources to hire International, National and Local media to present facts to the world as only such avenues would convince the whole world about who is who in the state.
“I have heard things, and I want to challenge any who thinks he has the truth to come out, I will use my personal money to hire CNN and other international media, AIT, Channels, NTA and AKBC, let’s present facts to Nigerians, let’s see who would tell the truth and who will also tell a lie”.
“However the issue on ground is Akwa Ibom, it’s about the development of this state, it’s about our children in public schools who are excelling in international competitions, it’s about the price of garri that we have drastically dropped, it’s about the unity of this state which we believe in”.
He thanked the people of Eket Senatorial District for the endorsement and assured that the overwhelming encouragements from all parts of the state has indeed boosted his determination, not just to declare but to do more.
He said his administration has within the last three years touched areas that were never touched in the state; he enumerated such areas to include; Mbo, Ini and other interior parts of the state which have been visited with dualized roads, improved healthcare facility, power infrastructure, International market and a modern sports facility in Eket.
Chairman on the occasion and a former deputy governor, Mr Etim Okpoyo who have been missing in political scenes since the return of democracy said he decided to come back to politics due to convincing evidences of performance by Udom Emmanuel “If I were not convinced, I would not have been here”. He said
Meanwhile Factional Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Akwa Ibom state, Dr Udoma Bob Ekarika, and a onetime governorship aspirant on the platform of the PDP has defected back to PDP.
Also to abandon the state chapter of the APC is the Deputy Chairman of the party in the state, Mr Emmanuel Udoh and the 2015 Director General of the Party’s campaign organization, Obongifiok Annie Asikpo.
While addressing the Eket grand endorsement rally, one of the APC bigwigs, Asikpo described the APC as a party of bad people.
He said having identified some good people within the party, he decided to pull them all back to root to enable them contribute to the development of the state.
“APC is a party with majority of bad people, but I discovered that there are still very many good people in APC, so I decided to shake the party and bring every good person back to the PDP,” he said
Asikpo recalled that Senator Godswill Akpabio in 2011 declared that 109 senators were not equivalent to one governor, saying that he and others with him have also joined Akpabio to reject all 109 in place of one governor.
Addressing the rally, the faction chairman of the APC, Dr Udom Bob Ekarika said they were back to the PDP to celebrate Udom Emmanuel’s already concluded victory in 2019.
“You cannot change the goal post in the middle of the game. Come rain come shine, Udom Emmanuel will be sworn in come May 29, 2019 because when the will of the people is galvanized for action, no stone or steel can stop it, be rest assured. I am coming from a very useless party and I will tell you more about them when we settle down”. He said
Receiving the decampees, State Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, Obong Paul Ekpo promised to ensure same rights and privileges to the returned members, he hinted them that Udom Emmanuel has been adopted as sole candidate of the party.
“Welcome back to the home of Victory and prosperity. You are entitled to participate in all activities and benefits herein. We have adopted Udom Emmanuel as sole candidate of the People’s Democratic Party In the state,” he said.
