As the 2019 race to the Hiltop Mansion of Akwa Ibom State becomes fierce, the All Progressives Congress (APC), the main opposition party in the state, appears to be pulling the carpet off the feet of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The opposition party is becoming a strong contender as stout members of the ruling party in the state are changing camps and pledging their loyalties and support to the APC.
During the reception organised Saturday by stakeholders of Uyo Senatorial District in honor of President Muhammadu Buhari and Mr Nsima Ekere, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), in Uyo, the party received more than 100 defectors into its fold.
Of note were the member representing Itu State constituency at the state House of Assembly, Mr Idongesit Ituen and a former special assistant on electoral matters to the Governor Udom Emmanuel, Mr Mfon Udeme who resigned recently.
Atuekong Don Etiebet, former Minister of Petroleum and caucus leader of the APC in the state, who received the defectors, claimed that the camp of the PDP was becoming deserted as a result of the defections. He therefore called on the state governor to “throw in the towel.”
“The only thing you can do now is to throw in the towel and come over and we shall accommodate you accordingly. But the thing is that we already have a governorship candidate,” Etiebet stated.
Senator Godswill Akpabio, former minority leader, in his remarks, assured the people that the 560 completed projects that were not commissioned after he left office as the governor in the state would be commissioned for use in 2019 “when Nsima Ekere becomes governor.”
Akpabio, however, expressed optimism that Ekere would become the governor of the state after the 2019 governorship elections.
“I left behind 560 completed projects that I did not commission. Over 250 of them are in Uyo. They will all be dusted and commissioned come 2019,” he assured.
While addressing the mammoth crowd, the NDDC boss, Nsima Ekere, warned the state government to desist from giving unnecessary excuses for what he described as its inefficiency in governance.
Ekere explained that it was the sole responsibility of the state government to provide for the needs of its citizenry while the NDDC is only an interventionist agency.
“When I was coming, some students ran to me and they cried that since Senator Godswill Akpabio left office, the government of Akwa Ibom State has refused to look after the affairs of students- that the government has refused to pay their bursary.
“When the last WAEC result came out, did you see the position Akwa Ibom took? When we spoke out, instead of apologising and coming to tell you how sorry they are, they said after all, what has NDDC done concerning Education in Akwa Ibom state?
“NDDC is not a state government. It is not in competition with any state government. NDDC is there to intervene and bridge the gap and we have been doing that. Let the PDP government in Akwa Ibom State not hide under the excuse that ‘what has NDDC done’ to hide their inefficiency,” he said.
While advising the state government to base its campaign on its performance and not sentiments, the NDDC boss challenged the state governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel to explain to the people how he has spent “over N90 billion” accrued to the state in three years.
Ekere, who said that the proposed Ibom deep sea port in Ibaka, Mbo local government area of the state, could accelerate the economy of the state, expressed worry that the state government has not gone beyond instituting a committee to see to the reality of the project.
“When this government came, they set up a committee and promised us that the deep sea port will start but it has not..The deep sea port has the capacity to jump-start the economy of Akwa Ibom state. It will create thousands of jobs directly and indirectly. It will build the economy of this state and so we must build and complete the deep sea port,” Ekere noted.
