A former member of House of Representative and Senatorial aspirant under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), honourable Ekperikpe Ekpo has insisted that Abak federal constituency must produce the next senator for Ikot Ekpene senatorial district in the forthcoming election.
Ekpo who made the assertion Tuesday while addressing the people of Abak comprising Abak, Etim Ekpo, Ika, Ukanafun, and Oruk Anam local government areas at the Youth Development Center, Abak, urged the people not to vote any candidate that is not from the constituency in 2019.
He lamented, “Abak Federal constituency has been a victim of long years of marginalization. It is the only constituency in the country that has never produced a Senator after 58years. We must produce the next Senator come 2019. We must decide our fate ourselves. If we do not, no one will decide for us.
“In 2007, they said one governor is better than 50 Senators. How did that benefit Abak people? In 2011, they deceived us again. In 2015, they said it was compensation to Godswill Akpabio. 2019 is here and they want to deceive us again in the name of “national interest”.
National interest is a deceptive gimmick, Abak federal constituency will not accept again. ” Oruk Anam/Ukanafun federal constituency have been represented thrice in the Senate, Ikot Ekpene/Essien Udim/Obot Akara federal constituency a record four times, Ini/Ikono federal constituency twice leaving Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika federal constituency as the only federal constituency in Nigeria that have not had a representative in the Senate for the past 58 years”
He assured that his people were ready to support Abak local government area to produce the next House of Representative member in 2019 in the spirit of justice and fairplay, noting , “I refused to go a second term for the House of Representatives for equity and rotational representation. Why should some people today be selfish? Never again should we bow down to unnecessary intimidation”
Speaking, a former deputy Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly and House of Representatives aspirant, Honourable Uwem Udoma urged the people of Abak federal constituency which consists of Abak/Ika/Etim not to support aspirants that just defected into the APC because they were seeking to secure the party ticket. “No defector from PDP will get the APC House of Representatives ticket for this 2019 election.
It is funny that some people who have been in the House of Representatives for two terms without anything to offer APC members in the federal constituency will now defect to the party and expect to be given the party’s ticket while going on with consultation without even registering to have a party card”, he noted.
Similarly, erstwhile state Chairman of the APC and Chairman of Abak Redemption Movement, ARM, Dr Amadu Attai said,”Never again shall we remain in slumber for people to come and take our right, never again. Quality representation brings about a better society and attracts development. We must be ready to send our best to represent us and protect our interest”
Vanguard
