The teeming supporters and sympathisers of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in their hundreds on Wednesday thronged the Uyo Township Stadium in Akwa Ibom State, venue of Manifesto presentation and flag-off campaign for the re-election of Governor Udom Emmanuel.
Emmanuel inaugurated as Akwa Ibom governor on May 29, 2015 was expected to reel out his manifesto for his second term bid to woo more voters to confront a strong opponent -Obong Nsima Ekere, All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate in March 2 governorship election in the state.
Instead of addressing momentous issues and telling the people what they would do to address their concerns if they are voted back into office, the governor and other PDP speakers at the event resorted to name calling and abuses of political opponents.
Many PDP members and supporters, indeed prospective sympathisers, felt disappointed as their speakers including the governor veered off the track to attack their perceived political enemies in APC, the main opposition party in the state.
Drawn from the 31 local government of the state, the PDP supporters started arriving at the venue of the event from 8 a.m. The women and youth groups, as usual, were present in different colours of uniforms with banners and placards.
The event which took off at about 12 p.m when the governor arrived and ended few minutes to 3 p.m, was beamed live by AIT, AKBC TV and Radio as well as other private radio stations in the state.
The people, who came out in their large number to show their support and solidarity to the PDP, stood six hours under the scorching sun to listen to the governor and other speakers maligning and lambasting their arch-rivals.
The governor’s outburst may not be unconnected with accusation of Mr. Ini Okopido, the state APC chairman, who had on Monday, said Governor Emmanuel was highjacking and implementing his party’s manifesto. Mr. Nsima Ekere, APC’s governorship candidate, presented his manifesto on December 3, 2018.
But addressing the people at the event, Governor Emmanuel said that the APC wants to take over power in order to perpetrate evil in the state, charging the people to vote only for the PDP.
“There is a difference between projects and monuments. I did not come to complete monuments. I came to complete projects- economic life-touching projects. The same people that promised you 31 industries, did they do one? We are challenging Akwa Ibom people that today, you must rise to defend our choice. All those people who are looking under their selfish interest to sell the treasures of our state, we say no.
“All these who are ranting to send our state back to the era of political upheaval, political devilish moves, political killings, political assassinations, political kidnappings, we say Holy Ghost fire,” the governor noted.
Yet, Emmanuel forget to tell his teeming supporters and begged for forgiveness that he rode on the back of his critics under the “adverse conditions” to power in 2015 as Akwa Ibom governor under the hastag “Udom Is Right”.
The Governor, however, mentioned his achievements in four years to include; revamping of the power sector, food availability, industrialisation, youth development, women empowerment, growing of the educational sector, among other accomplishments.
Emmanuel, who said that he could not present his manifesto to the people for want of time, noted “every thing you read in this manifesto, you won’t find a single lie in it. Everything you read here, there is an element of integrity; there is an element of sincerity. You will see love, unity, progress of Akwa Ibom, development, industrialisation, good education, good healthcare system, and good social contract.”
He, however, said that a future date would be set where he would read his manifesto to the people.
Earlier, Barr. Emmanuel Enoidem, PDP National Legal Adviser, had wondered why the APC governorship candidate, Ekere, who he said was not qualified to be a deputy governor in 2013, should be trusted with the state’s top job.
Enoidem, who labelled the APC as “party of liars,” said that the party has failed to fulfill all the promises they made to Nigerians in 2014, urging the people not to even bother to consider giving the a chance in the state.
While saying that he could not be intimidated by the APC led federal government, Enoidem pledged to governor Udom and the PDP presidential candidate, Mr. Atiku Abubakar, his unalloyed support to ensure that they come out victorious in the forth coming general elections.
Also speaking, the speaker of the state house of assembly, Mr. Onofiok Luke, accused the federal government of intimidating Governor Emmanuel since August 2018 when Senator Godswill Akpabio defected to the APC.
Luke, however, assured the governor of the unflinching loyalty of all the members of the state assembly to ensure that he is re-elected in the soon to come gubernatorial race in the state.
As it is always with political rallies, a number of persons defected from the APC to the PDP at the event. Leading the defectors was a former speaker of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Mr. Ignatius Edet.
Edet, who was formerly a member of the PDP before his sojourn to the APC, said that he left the PDP because of impunity in the party. He said his decision to return to the party was due to the fact that those who perpetrated the impunity had infiltrated the APC.
Other speakers were Mrs Helen Esuene, a one-time Seantor who represented Akwa Ibom South in the Senate; Senator Bassey Albert Akpan, representing Akwa Ibom North East in the Senate; Obong Obot Etukafia, a retired permanent secretary and Paul Ekpo, state PDP Chairman
At the event, Governor Emmnauel assisted by Seriake Dickson, Bayelsa State governor presented flags to the party’s candidates in the state Assembly, House of Representatives and Senate.
Speaking with this reporter, Mr. Ekanem Udoh, who hails from Nsit Ibom local government area of the state, said that he was dissapointed that the governor did not read out his manifesto. He wondered what he would tell his wife and children at home that the governor said.
“There have been speculations by the APC that my governor is implementing their manifesto. That is why I had to come all the way from my village to this place to hear the governor put them to shame. I am disappointed that that did not happen,” he said.
Also speaking, another enthusiast of the governor, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, believed that the governor could not read his manifesto because he did not want to keep the people in the scorching sun for a long time.
Clad with a branded T-shirt with the inscription ‘Akwa Ibom Female Youths for Udom’, the supporter who is a native of Itu local government of the state, however, agreed that the name calling and abuses by the governor and other speakers at the event were not necessary as presenting a well scripted manifesto is the best way to canvass for votes.
Efforts by this reporter to speak with members of the the central planning committee of the event proved abortive as they were too busy.
