A’Ibom govt denies barring Atiku Abubakar from consulting with delegates

Ini Billie, Uyo

The Akwa Ibom State Government has refuted media reports that Governor Udom Emmanuel barred Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, presidential aspirant under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), from consulting with delegates from the state.

The state government said Emmanuel welcomed the visit of the former Vice President of the country to the state, especially as Abubakar would also pay a visit to the Governor after meeting the delegates.

A statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Ini Ememobong, on Sunday in Uyo, described the media report as ‘mischief’, saying the governor cannot stop Abubakar from meeting delegates as other aspirants have also visited the state.

According to Ememobong, the report which was laced with foul language is alien to the accommodating disposition of the governor and urged the public to disregard the news as the state’s delegate and team were waiting to receive the aspirant.

“The truth is that the Governor who has been in communication and contact with all other Presidential Aspirants (Atiku Abubakar inclusive) was informed that the former Vice President will be visiting on Monday, 16th May 2022 to meet with delegates and thereafter see him (Gov. Emmanuel) by 4 pm, a proposal that was unhesitatingly accepted.

“It is therefore pure mischief for anyone to insinuate that the Governor is preventing Alhaji Abubakar from seeing delegates. Other Presidential Aspirants have visited the party in Akwa Ibom without a hitch, so why would Atiku’s be different?

“We urge the entire public to discountenance the fake news and treat it as an act of mischief of the highest order. Our delegates and team are waiting to receive the aspirant on the agreed date and time,” he stated.

Emmanuel is a fellow Presidential aspirant as Abubakar under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), a situation which probably gave rise to the report.