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Eket Senatorial District Backs Ekere
APC is going to rule A’Ibom in 2019 – Akpabio
Ahead of the 2019 general election in Akwa Ibom State, Eket Senatorial District has restated their total readiness to support the election of the Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Nsima Ekereas the governor of Akwa Ibom State.
They made this know recently at a rally organized by the people of Akwa Ibom (Eket) Senatorial District, held in Eket when the leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State presented the party’s gubernatorial expression of interest and nomination forms they had bought to the governorship hopeful with a call on him to contest the 2019 election.
President Buhari, who was represented by Senator Ita Enang, applauded Mr. Ekere and the NDDC management for the intervention in infrastructure, security, social welfare and other sectors in the state which had enabled federal presence to be felt in the state. He also acknowledged the people of Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District for the endorsement and promised them more projects.
On his part, Atuekong Etiebet called on Mr. Ekere to accept the form, fill and return it before the deadline set by the party’s National Headquarters. Senator Akpabio noted that NDDC boss had already been endorsed by his Akwa Ibom North-West (Ikot Ekpene) Senatorial District. He further noted, that “We are yet to fully take a decision on whether it should be direct primaries or consensus but I know in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, Nsima Ekere has already been endorsed. APC is going to rule Akwa Ibom in 2019.”
According to Akpabio, “I want to make one point very clear. When I was contesting in 2007, it was the turn of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District. But people from Eket and Uyo Senatorial Districts also bought forms. I want to plead with you to make sure that our party is richer. Even though Nsima Ekere is going to the Governor, please go and buy form for governorship. You are not going to be stopped from contesting. This is democracy. What Akwa Ibom people are saying today is that Eket Senatorial District should have two tenures and it should end in 2023. Therefore, no matter where you come from, if you are not from Eket Senatorial District, you are contesting in vain. I think that is the message”.
On his part, Umana Umana, who was the APC gubernatorial candidate in the 2015 election, described the reception for President Buhari and Ekere as well-deserved and called on the NDDC boss to heed the calls from all sections of the state and contest the governorship election in 2019.
Responding, the governorship hopeful, Mr. Nsima Ekere said he would only accept to contest on the condition of serving only one term to complete the two terms reserved by Akwa Ibom people for his Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District. He expressed joy to the people of the senatorial district and the state for their support. In his words, “I was invited for a reception by Eket Senatorial District only for me to come here and be ambushed by all the elders, youths and women of Akwa Ibom State and they gave me these forms. What greater love can be more than this? I am happy because I like to see signs. The other day when the other party had a rally to declare their intention to run, it was raining cats and dogs. It seems that even the heavens have rejected their bid. And then today we are here. We have a clement weather. To God be the glory, he added.
“There is no road to pass in Eket except NDDC roads. You cannot find road to pass in Eket. All the roads in Eket have been destroyed. They say they want to construct roads in Eket. Now there is no road in Eket. Three and a half years, no road to pass in Eket. APC will complete the stadium and the roads in Eket,” he posited.
