Ini Billie, Uyo
The Akwa Ibom State Government, on Monday allayed public fears over Governor Udom Emmanuel’s choice of Mr Umo Eno, the Commissioner of Lands and Water Resources as his successor.
Speaking on the issue during a press conference, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Ini Ememobong explained that Emmanuel’s preference is his conviction and nobody would be persecuted for making an alternative choice.
According to the commissioner, there was currently no aspirant but intending aspirants for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), as only the party’s primaries would determine who emerges as the flag bearer of the party.
“In the Electoral Act, there are three ways in the selection of candidates: Number one – direct primaries, all registered members of the party; Number two: indirect primaries. In the indirect primaries, the entire delegates to contest are known to everybody apart from the adhoc delegates who will be elected, and the statutory delegates are more than 75 per cent of the adhoc delegates. So, what is the need to fear?
“Anybody who wanted an election, from the point of change of baton of party should have known what to do. So, there is no need crying, there is no need for fear. 75 to 78 per cent of the delegates are open to be lobbied, are open to be consulted. The party had not yet taken a decision.
“On radio, people would call and say 2022 is here, the Governor should at least show direction. Now the Governor has shown direction that has been revealed to him, he becomes vilified. Even the preferred aspirant would have to do two things: Number one, purchase expression of intention form.
“But we are beginning to jump the gun because the truth is, nobody is an aspirant as we speak. The only aspirants we have are on Facebook and in the media. Known to the party, there is none who is an aspirant. To becomes an aspirant is not in consultation, It is when you pick the expression of interest form and the nomination form. That’s when you have aspirants. We have intending aspirants.
“There is no cause for alarm, there is no need to attempt to bring governance to a halt. We still have a sitting governor who must be supported to complete his tenure for the betterment of our state,” he stated.
Meanwhile, youths under the aegis of Coalition Akwa Ibom Youth Groups (CAIG), have said it was wrong for Governor Emmanuel to pick a successor which was the mandate of only political parties, and not an individual.
Speaker of the South-South Youth Assembly (SSYA), Comrade Victor Thompson and leader Youth Democratic Movement (YDM), maintained that handpicking a successor before the party’s primary amounted to imposition and an appointment of a governor for the people.
They wondered why the governor would hide under the guise of ‘hearing from God’ to impose a governor on over 6 million indigenes of the state.
“It is no longer news that Akwa Ibom state governor, Mr. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel has, in his birthday to exploit the element of his godliness of our people and their affinity to God, has come up with a deceptive vision that God has revealed a successor to him and has singlehandedly anointed and purportedly appointed his successor in the person of Pastor Umo Eno.
“It is very surprising that the governor is the only person in the state of over 6 million that can hear from God. The governor on the other hand has done a great disservice to the good and sensibility of over 6 million Akwa Ibom persons by singlehandedly trying to impose a liability on Akwa Ibom political space for yet to be disclosed reasons.
“It is pertinent to mention that Pastor Umo Eno who has never been associated with nor interested in the political process in Akwa Ibom state, will suddenly become interested in the race and so appointed without consideration for others who have paid their dues, loyalty, resources, time etc to nurse the administration until now.
“Akwa Ibom is bigger than the inordinate ambition of some characters. Having gone through a lot in the hands of the present political actor, Akwa Ibom needs a fresh, vibrant, purposeful and forthright leadership,” Thompson stated.