Akpan Umoh, Uyo
The Akwa Ibom Chairman of Young Progressives Party (YPP), Mr Nyeneime Andy, has emerged as the party’s governorship candidate for the 2023 general election.
Mr Olawale Martins, the Chairman of the Governorship Primary Electoral Committee for Akwa Ibom, said that Andy polled 209 votes out of the 217 accredited delegates to emerge at the primary election held on Thursday at Vinpy arena in Udo Udoma Avenue, Uyo.
Martins, who was also the returning officer for the gubernatorial primary called on Akwa Ibom residents to embrace true and transparent leadership and good governance that will be offered by the YPP.
He said the governorship candidate emerged through a transparent, democratic process without any imposition by the party.
In his acceptance speech, Andy thanked the party faithful for reposing confidence in him and promised not to let the people down.
He commended them for their perseverance and resilience, assuring that there would be a total transformation of the state with YPP in power.
He assured that if voted into power, the dividends of democracy would be translated into all local government areas of the state.
“I want to thank the party for believing in me and I will make the party to triumph as the flag-bearer.
“Akwa Ibom people should be ready for transformation for change and I can tell you the next governor will come from YPP and they will know, truly God has sent a leader.
“The mistakes before is that candidate sits down to draw what is intended do that may not benefit the people.
“So, in the next two weeks, I am going to come out with a blueprint workshop, where the 31 Local Government Areas will have a workshop with me. Where they tell me their peculiar problems.
“And through these, I will come up with my manifesto, because the mistake is sitting down and thinking you know all without consulting with the people,” Andy said.
Our correspondent reports that Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials were on ground to observe the primary election.
Meanwhile, the party had also conducted primaries for the House of Assembly, House of Representatives and Senate where candidates emerged through consensus arrangements.