By Edifon ABASI-OBOT
Reactions have continued to trail the affirmation of the incumbent Governor Udom Emmanuel as gubernatorial candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State, for the 2019 election.
The State Chairman of the Democratic People’s Party (DPP), who is also the Chairman, Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), in Akwa Ibom State and the South-South/South-East region, Xst Amb. Martins Inyang, in an interaction with pressmen, said that his party would stand a chance to win the 2019 gubernatorial election in the State, but for the emergence of Governor Udom Emmanuel as the flag bearer of the PDP in the State.
Inyang said election is a contest and many parties will have their candidates to field for the contest. He said his party was also in the race. Stating the DPP’s position in the race, Inyang said his party believes in continuum of governance. Also, considering that a single four-year term is not enough to initiate policies and take them through all stages, he said his party had resolved to go for only one term of four years and to concentrate on continuing from where Udom Emmanuel would have stopped, Inyang said.
Martins Inyang however disclosed that for Udom to be the PDP’s flag bearer was to be expected, as the governor’s performance in the past three years was already an advantage to the party.
He affirmed that the Udom Emmanuel-led administration, in three years, Udom has set up not less than nine factories in the State, revamped the education and health sectors of the State, sponsored some young Akwa Ibomites on very significant courses of study within and outside the country, renovated schools and hospitals. The largest workforce in most Nigerian states is the civil service and Akwa Ibom has not been listed among state governments that have fail in paying salaries and pension to retirees, These, Inyang added, have become a big advantage for the PDP.
“I am not a PDP man, but as an Akwa Ibom son, I can say openly that, with these and many more, Udom Emmanuel has done well enough to win the heart of the people. During IPAC’s tour of the State, I was privileged to witness what Udom has done and I can say the imprint of his government can be seen in all 31 LGAs of the State. If the PDP did not give Udom the ticket, other political party would have come to join the DPP, because my party stood a chance to take up the Hilltop Mansion,” Inyang said.
Speaking further, Inyang declared, “with what he has been able to put in place with the available resources, I can say only as an Akwa Ibom son that Udom has done well.”
On zoning, the IPAC Chairman said it is political parties that institute zoning. He said governorship was zoned to Uyo in the first eight years of the present republic and Obong Attah happened to be the beneficiary. Next was Ikot Ekpene for eight years, with Godswill Akpabio. It is now Eket and all political parties are likely to field candidates from that Senatorial District.
As it has been, each of the past two governors, on the one hand, took eight years and the zones too on the other hand took eight years each. If that uniformity is truncated, there is no certainty of sustaining the order in subsequent elections, on just one aspect.
