Israel Umoh
The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mr Ezekiel Nyaetok, says he is neither a secret cultist nor an occultist, urging the electorate to vote for him during the 2023 polls.
Nyaetok stated this Wednesday interactive session organised by Akwa Ibom State Council of Elders for governorship candidates in the state to unveil their manifestoes to woo the electorates and signing of Peace Accord by them to ensure credible devoid of violence in the state.
The architect who facilitated Shelter Afrique during Victor Attah administration hails from Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area.
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Speaking at the Ibom E-library complex Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, he did not mention any governorship candidate who is a secret cultist or occultist forbidden by the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended) to hold the exalted office.
However, Nyaetok urged the people to do away with deceit which is a common currency in Nigerian politics, but to vote him into power as ‘‘a man with capacity’’ devoid of tribe or religion.
He emphasized the need for government to always provide employment opportunities for the youths mostly those in the rural areas to avoid a spill-over effect of some criminals moving to urban areas to terrorise their inhabitants.
Obong Victor Attah, the Chairman of the council, opposed any process or system that will disenfranchise any of the candidates from being elected as a governor based on their proposed contributions to the growth of the state.
Attah who spoke during the occasion sought a level-playing ground for all the contestants to allow for emergence of a governor in the forthcoming elections.
According to him, ‘‘Any of you is qualified to be elected for the office of the governor based on your valued inputs and manifestoes on how to rule the state.
‘‘I want us to apply the parliamentary system that will open the field for effective participation and election of all the contestants.
‘‘Any of you who emerges an overall winner should carry the rest of the candidates along because they have rich ideas on how to make Akwa Ibom State more prosperous and peaceful.’’
Dr. Ekwere Essien of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) pledged that if elected, he would devote a large of monthly allocations to education and health and stressed the need for participatory prosperity among the people.
This is as eight others political parties including the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno, his counterpart in Young Progressives Party, Senator Bassey Albert Akpan and others were absent at the signing of peace pact.
The Peace Accord which was held at the Ibom E-library complex Uyo, Akwa Ibom State was part of the interactive session organised by the Council of Elders for the candidates to unveil their manifesto to woo the electorates.
Those who signed the accord included Mr Iboro Otu of the African Action Congress (AAC); Arc. Ezekiel Nyaetok of the African Democratic Congress (ADC); Dr. Ekwere Essien of the Action Democratic party (ADP) and Obong Ita Ekpo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
Others were Mr. Eyo Ekor of Allied People’s Movement (APM); Senator John James Akpanudoedehe of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP); Mr. Akan Ekpenyong of the Boot Party (BP); Engr. Emem Coffie of Accord Party and that of the Zenith Labour Party.
However, those absent during the pact signing included PDP, APC, YPP, LP, SPD, NRP and others.
Speaking before the signing of the Accord, Dr. Moses Essien, the Secretary, Akwa Ibom State Council of Elders, said that the Council viewed with great concern the inordinate tendencies of violence among members of the various political parties and is therefore committed to ensuring free election before, during and after the election.
Essien stated that it was based on this that the Council of Elders decided to “bring together all the political parties in the state to forestall any possible occurrence of electoral violence during the forthcoming election in the state.”
