Sunday, January 29, 2023

ISD 2023: I'm Not Fronting For Akpabio - YPP Candidate

 

                      Rt Hon Emmanuel Ekon



By Freshgist 


Ahead of February 25th, 2023 Senatorial election, the Akwa Ibom North-West (Ikot Ekpene) Senatorial District leading contender on the platform of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Ekon, has cleared the air on the controversy making the rounds that he was fronting for the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Senator Godswill Akpabio.


In an interview with our correspondent in uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital, the former House of Representatives member for Abak Federal Constituency, dismissed the rumour as "a deliberately orchestrated propaganda by mischief makers with evil intent to break the ranks of my teeming supporters across the 10 Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom North-West."


Ekon, a former two - term member and Chairman of the Local Content Committee in the 9th National Assembly, noted that "the major aim of the purveyors of such infantile and baseless falsehood are my competitiors who are afraid of my towering popularlty amongst the electorates, who are willing and ready to join hands with me address decades of discrimination and injustice against the people of Abak Federal Constituency, who had never produced a Senator in the last 60 years."


Urging his teeming supporters to "disregard the cheap lies intended to again rob the Abak Federal Constituency of its long and overdue right in 2023", Ekon recalled that the slot had over the years been rotated only between the Ikot Ekpene, Ukanafun/Oruk and Ikot/Ini Federal Constituencies, leaving the zone he described as Abak--3, comprising of Abak, Etim Ekpo and Ika, to wallow in wanton underdevelopment, infrastructural decay and joblessness amongst the youths.


He said: "I, and Godswill Akpabio, we don't belong in the same political party. Godswill is a member of APC,from Essien Udim LGA in Ikot Ekpene Federal Constituency.  By the grace of God, I am a candidate of the YPP, from Etim in Abak Federal Constituency. My major mission is to return to the Red Chamber in order to address these injustice meted on the zone for several years.


"I thank God for Chief Don Etiebet, he is a Board of Trustees (BoT) member of the APC, from Ukanafun/Oruk Anam Federal Constituency. He pointedly told Akpabio to leave this contest for only contenders from Abak--3, for the sake justice, equity and fair play, yet he (Godswill) remains adamant, even when it was obvious that the former Deputy Inspector General of (DIG) Udom Ekpoudom, my kinsman from Etim Ekpo LGA, was on the verge of getting the ticket.


"I am urging stakeholders, elders, leaders and youths including all eligible voters from the zone to rise up against this bare-face impunity and injustice against a people who had over the years chosen the path of honour to wait for these number of years. Therefore, we must take the battle in our hands to correct this anomaly with our Permanent Voter's Cards (PVCS).


"So, I am appealing to everyone desirous of this all important change to be armed with their PVCs to effect this necessary change peacefully, so that empowerment, jobs and infrastructural development can also locate the people in other areas. Godswill surrendered the slot in 2019 to outgoing Senator Chris Ekpenyong, his kinsman from the same Federal Constituency. Now, he is angling for the same seat again, it's to stop this unhealthy cycle for equity and fair play.


"I have been there for eight years in the Green Chamber and the records are there. As the Chairman of the Local Content Committee for four years (2015 -2019), beneficiaries of oil industry job and training, scholarships, skills  acquisition, empowerment and infrastructural development are there for people to see courtesy of my effective representation.


"Then the latitude of my representation was small, this time around, going to the Red Chamber with your support, I promise to bring a new narrative of development as a ranking member with larger latitude. I understand the essential needs of the people as we campaign across wards and villages of the Senatorial District.


"Let there be fresh air in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, the the young ones embrace a new paradigm shift from the old order. I understand people are being paid N10,000 for their PVCs, I want to implore you, If they come to you, collect the money, it's your own, but don't trade your conscience because if you do, you have sold your for eight years."

No comments:

Post a Comment

HUNGER PROTESTS: Rights Group Urges Caution, Joins Government to protect protesters

On the heels of the hunger protests by some Nigerians from 1st August, 2024, a foremost civil rights group in Nigeria, the Center for Human ...