A political stalwart in Akwa Ibom State, Otuekong Sunny Jackson-Udoh, has dissociated self from an alleged congratulatory message to Governor Udom Emmanuel, saying “It has come to my notice that the Akwa Ibom State Government has issued a press statement which is being broadcast on government media that I, Otuekong Sunny Jackson Udoh, have congratulated Udom Gabriel Emmanuel on his ‘victory’ at the Supreme Court and as governor of Akwa Ibom State. I want to state here categorically that this is not true.”“I have not, and have no intention of doing so. I suspect that the handlers of Udom Emmanuel are conflating an incident that happened on Saturday at the funeral of Edet Akpan Archibong to suggest that I have congratulated Udom Emmanuel. On the said Saturday at the said funeral, I was arriving at the event at the time Udom Emmanuel, his deputy and other people in government were already seated. As soon as Mr Emmanuel sighted me and Dr Maurice Ebong coming into the venue, he (Mr Emmanuel) rushed from where he was and came over to greet me,” the statement added.
Explaining further, Otuekong Jackson-Udoh said “He also invited me to lunch in Government House, which I declined. It is therefore a surprise to me and a sign of moral unease on the part of Udom Emmanuel for him to allow a press statement suggesting that I have congratulated him. Where is the evidence of the congratulatory message that I have issued to Mr Emmanuel? Support is never by force.”
“If Udom Emmanuel had won an election and a genuine court victory, he should go ahead and face the onerous task of improving the lives of Akwa Ibom people. That is what his ‘victory’ is all about. He was not ‘elected’ to spend time in office scouting for support to assuage a gnawing feeling of illegitimacy.”
“I therefore call on the great members and supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State and elsewhere to ignore government propaganda. I did not congratulate Udom Gabriel Emmanuel and will not do so,” the statement concluded.
