Prepare For Fresh Governorship Election, Akpabio Tells Emmanuel

Former governor of Akwa Ibom State and Senator representing Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, Godswill Akpabio, has advised his successor, Udom Emmanuel, and some leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to prepare for another governorship election in the state.

The former governor was said to have told the Peoples Democratic Party faithful that proceedings at the Akwa Ibom Governorship Election Tribunal was not in favour of the party.

A Government House source told Daily Independent in Uyo, on Tuesday, that Akpabio had informed the PDP elders that the party’s defeat on March 28 presidential election had adversely affected PDP’s fortunes at the national and state levels.

Akpabio, according to him, called the meeting to advise the elders of the party to begin sensitising and mobilising other party faithful and Nigerians should the tribunal decide to cancel the election.

Akpabio was said to have stated this during an emergency meeting of PDP elders in Uyo on Saturday.

Besides the governor, other PDP leaders who attended the meeting included the state party chairman, Mr. Paul Ekpo; Speaker, Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Mr. Aniekan Uko; Senator Effiong Bob, and a former military governor of Akwa Ibom State, Idongesit Nkanga.

However, a PDP leader from Eket who was at the meeting said, in confidence, that the mood at the meeting was sober, except on few instances where Akpabio had to crack jokes which brought out laughter from the people.

He said: “Akpabio presided over the meeting, but was constantly making reference to Emmanuel as the governor and asking the party to support the new administration to succeed.

“He also advised Emmanuel to carry the party along in his government so that the party could remain as a united family.”

It was learnt that Akpabio’s election as a senator is also being challenged at the tribunal by the All Progressives Congress candidate, Mr. Inibehe Okori.

All attempts to extract comments on the development from Ekpo and Nkanga, proved abortive as they neither attended to calls nor responded to text messages sent to them.