After months of buck-passing, accusations and name callings, some political heavyweights in Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and All Progressives Congress, APC of Nigeria’s Akwa Ibom State observed what looked like political ceasefire and worshipped at Cardinal Ekanem Seminary Grounds, Dominic Utuk Avenue, Uyo.
The event was the New Year Prayer and Fasting Assembly 2019 of the Catholic Diocese of Uyo held on Sunday, January 6.
Despite their political rivalry and feud over the months, Akwa Ibom State governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, his deputy, Mr Moses Ekpo; Senator Godswill Akpabio representing Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District and Mr. Nsima Ekere, the state APC governorship candidate, embraced themselves and exchanged banters during the church service to the admiration of other worshippers.
Emmanuel said “I want to appreciate God for this gathering. When we are in church, I don’t like to lose the essence of our gathering. I want to appreciate God for this gathering because they are praying for the state. When you feel the presence of God anywhere, you feel the presence of peace.
Continued him, “I want to thank God for the peaceful co-existence of people in Akwa Ibom State. I want to thank God for what we enjoy today and Paul Apostle said, “We are many in this city because there are so many Christians praying for us. That is why we are enjoying this peace.
The governor thanked Christians for praying for God to watch over Akwa Ibom State, saying that “the world exist today because there is a church. I want to thank God for all of us. I want to thank God for this Conference.”
According to him, “I want to join my faith with what my brother has said at the end of the day, it is not about us. It is about the soul of the state. It is about the destiny of this state. Whatsoever we do today as government, it is for the destiny of Akwa Ibom State.
“Everything we do in this state today is about the future of our own children. We promised Akwa Ibom people that we will not prepare the children for the future but also prepare the future for our children. What we do today is about sustainable development preparing the future for our children.
“As we go into elections this year, let the God of peace grant us peace. I join my faith with all Christian that this is a Christian State. May we enjoy peaceful and transparent election in Jesus Name.”said it was high time people disregarded politics as a do-or-die affair as no political ambition was worth the blood of anyone.
He described Akwa Ibom as a united family and urged the people to shun any act that could divide them.
The governor acknowledged the contributions of the church to the development and peaceful co-existence of the society.
Emmanuel commended the Uyo Catholic Church for the New Year Prayer and Fasting and hoped it would bring enduring peace to the society and guarantee violence-free elections in the state.
Senator Akpabio, who equally spoke, testified on how prayer saved the life of his wife, Unoma, a devout Catholic, when she was in coma in a German hospital for four months in 2016.
He recalled his transformation of not only the physical infrastructure of the state but also the mental psyche of the people during his time as Governor.
Akpabio, who is the immediate past Governor of the state, went and greeted Governor Emmanuel, Moses Ekpo and Emmanuel but snuubed Senator Bassey Albert.
Earlier, Ekere had called for a peaceful election and publicly embraced his opponent, Governor Udom Emmanuel, during the closing ceremony of the New Year prayer and fasting assembly of the Catholic Diocese of Uyo.
Ekere drew thunderous applause from the worshippers when he dramatically walked to where the Governor was seated and embraced him moments after being honoured by the Catholic Bishop of Uyo, Dr. John Ayah, in appreciation of his (Ekere’s) contributions to the development of the church.
The APC standard bearer’s gesture was commended by the clearly elated Bishop.
In his remarks, Ekere, flanked by Emmanuel, was emphatic on the need for peace during the forthcoming elections.
His words: “All I am saying is that you (the Catholic Church) must continue to pray for Akwa Ibom State because at the end of the day, all that we have is Akwa Ibom State. It is not about APC. It’s not about PDP. It’s about Akwa Ibom State. And you know that God knows the end from the beginning. So, even as we stand here, God knows who the next Governor will be.
“And so, all we have to do as Christians is to continue to pray. So, please, pray for us, sir (Bishop), pray for the political process. We need peace and we need security. We do not need to spill the blood of any Akwa Ibom child in the course of these elections.”
Ekere alerted of plans by some persons in Akwa Ibom State to import thugs to cause mayhem in the state and prayed that “the Almighty God will frustrate the devices of the crafty.”
On his part, the Bishop made it clear that the church was strictly neutral in the elections.
“I wish to state it very clearly that the church doesn’t stand in preference to one party against the other,” he said. “There are my sons who are in PDP. There are my sons who are in APC. They all belong to me.”
His Lordship, Most Rev. John E. Ayah, Catholic Bishop Of Uyo Diocese preached on the theme “come let us return to the Lord that he may heal” taken from Hosea 6:1-13.
Ayah used the occasion to laud Governor Emmanuel for rehabilitation of St. Luke’s General Hospital, Uyo and Ekere for the renovation of school blocks and roads in Cardinal Ekanem Seminary, Uyo.
Other dignitaries who attended the service were Dr. Amadu Atai, APC Deputy Governorship candidate; Senator Ita Enang, Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate); Ini Okopido, state APC Chairman, Lady Valerie Ebe, former Deputy Governor.
Meanwhile, Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation, Uyo established and owned by the state government Sunday relayed news mentioning Senator Akpabio five months after his defection to APC, the opposition party in the state.\
Also, the radio mentioned Nsima Ekere, who is Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC months after he was rumoured to have joined governirship race to challenge Emmanuel’s re-election.
The news blackout of the key political players seen as face of opposition in the state temporarily entered oblivion on Sunday because the political gladiators worshipped with the state governor in the same church.
