Senator Godswill Akpabio said restructuring would form a front burner of national discussion in the 10th Nigerian Senate, hence the need for their constituents to send men of capacity and competence to the Red Chambers.
Akpabio stated this Thursday when he paid consultative visit to Itai Afe Annang (V), Obong Blaise Awakama and other prominent members of the frontline socio-cultural organisation at Afe Annang secretariat, Ebebit Afaha Obong in Abak Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
Campaigning to represent Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District in the Senate under All Progressives Congress, APC, the former Akwa Ibom governor said since restructuring would be a topical issue in the 10th Senate, there was need for his constituents to send a man of capacity and competence to represent the district.
Akpabio was accompanied by the Director-General of Godswill Akpabio Campaign Organisation, Obong Ubokutom Nyah; Sir Etekamba Umoren, one-time Secretary to Akwa Ibom State Government, among others.
He said he was not perturbed by political leaders attacking him in the state, saying his antecedent would fetch him victory at the polls and no level of blackmail would change his people’s minds.
Straightnews gathered that one of the leaders in Ikot Ekpene senatorial district and a member of the APC Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Don Etiebet had at different fora asked Senator Akpabio to jettison his senatorial ambition to make way for candidate from Abak 5 otherwise he would ensure that he ‘fails the election.’
Etiebet, who was Minister of Petroleum Resources, had in a bipartisan manner declared his support to Akpabio’s opponent in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Emmanuel Enoidem on the ground that it is the turn of Abak 5 to produce a senator.
However, Akpabio in the meeting said he does not need the endorsement of a lone leader, but that of the people of the district whose votes would make him victorious and urged the royal father to caution their sons against opposing his candidacy and speaking ill of him.
He challenged Etiebet to indicate how he improved the fortunes of the people as former Minister of Petroleum and contributed to the development of Abak 5, his Oruk Anam and Akwa Ibom State.
“I want to say that all the blackmails [and] calumny sponsored against me and my candidacy is for my good. They will form a stepping stone to my victory,” Akpabio stated.
He further said: “You (Etiebet) were the Minister of Petroleum, tell me one local government you empowered or established NNPC, you did nothing and you call yourself a leader.”
‘‘At the creation of Akwa Ibom State, Oron Local Government Area was alone but later turned to five, but Abak, Ikot Ekpene, Ikono and Ukanafun Local Government Areas, which should have had 20 local government areas could not, due to poor leadership of the district,’’ the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs narrated.
The former Akwa Ibom State governor also berated his former Commissioner and a contender in the race, Emmanuel Enoidem for speaking against him, insisting that he created the platform for Enoidem to become politically relevant today.
“Ingratitude is a sin before God and for someone to open his mouth to say that ‘I didn’t work for you but for Akwa Ibom government’ is ridiculous,” he noted.
Akpabio, while enumerating the myriads of development projects he executed as a governor and what he can attract to his people, urged the people to vote for Bola Ahmed Tinubu as president in Saturday’s election saying that Tinubu would make the best successor to President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Itai Afe Annang V, Obong Awakama said the frontline socio-cultural organization does not bar any Annang son and daughter from campaigning in the land or consulting their members, irrespective of their religious inclinations and political party affiliation.
Obong Awakama said every person is free to campaign in the area without any hitch.
‘‘Whether you are a member of Roman Catholic Church, Jehovah Witness or any other church, provided you are Annang man, you can come and consult us.
Even as a member of All Progressives Congress, APC, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, African Democratic Congress, ADP or Young Progressives Party, YPP, you can consult and campaign here,’’ he said.
According to him, ‘‘It is not a duel between All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but people whose voices will be heard, people who are in a position to take Akwa Ibom to the national politics.’’
Obong Emmanuel Peter Umanah, a one-time Commissioner for Industry during the late Clement Isong administration in the then Cross River State, paid glowing tributes to Akpabio’s sterling performance as a governor and Minister.
Umanah, who is a board member in Afe Annang, said based on his antecedent, there was need for the people in the senatorial district to vote massively for Akpabio during the Saturday’s National Assembly election.
