October 11, (THEWILL) – The wild spread rumours that Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel has concluded plans to defect to the All Progressive Congress (APC) was on Monday laid to rest by the state’s chapter of People’s Democratic Party (PDP),
saying peddlers of such rumours are using it to draw attention to themselves.
THEWILL reports that the Senior Special Assistant to the President, Mohammadu Buhari on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Ita Enang had, while speaking on Talk-Radio show of the Inspiration FM, Uyo, claimed that the state Governor was making subtle moves to join the APC.
Enang who cited the Governor’s recent romance with APC stakeholders, including the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Senate President, Dr. Ahmed Lawan who were in the state for projects commissioning, concluded that ‘ Udom Emmanuel is now a member of the APC”
In a swift reacting to Enang’s claim in an interview on Monday, the Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr Borono Bassey said he was not surprised at the rumours adding that APC is always struggling to have a performing governor, like Udom Emmanuel in order to validate it failure in the state
“The truth is that the governor has said it over and over again and on our part, we have made releases that the Governor is not going anywhere. I like to think that people just want to draw attention to themselves because they know that people will be interested in hearing about this.
“I understand too that when you think of the fact that governor, Udom Emmanuel is a performing governor, the APC would want to have someone like him to validate themselves because everyone knows that they have failed and they will need someone that is performing to come over” He stated.
Also a group, the Akwa Ibom Integrity Alliance has carpeted Enang over what it described as ” Infantile outburst” against Governor Udom Emmanuel
The group, in a statement in Uyo endorsed by its convener, Mr Faith Mboho, described such speculation as childish, saying that Governor Udom Emmanuel cannot be defecting to APC simply because he brought Vice President Osinbajo and Senate President Ahmad Lawan to inaugurate some projects in the state.
“Let us state here unequivocally, that Governor Udom Emmanuel, will never, never join the APC, he has never entertained such thoughts and will never even dare such consideration.”
He described Governor Emmanuel as “a major Stakeholder of the Peoples Democratic Party, a loyal party man and a key member in the vanguard to position the PDP as the alternative to what has befallen Nigeria in the last six plus years of Ita Enang’s party rule.”
The group insisted that Governor Emmanuel’s stellar performance, accounts for the desperate attempt by the APC to lure him over.
“We understand the desire and desperation for Ita Enang’s party to have a Five Star Governor, in the mould of Governor Emmanuel, whose performance has drawn commendations from key members of his party to be associated with them, but sorry to disappoint you, Senator, Governor Udom Emmanuel is not going anywhere, he remains a PDP member”. Mboho maintained.
About the Author
