By Edifon ABASI-OBOT
Governor Udom Emmanuel has been described as a major power valve in Akwa Ibom State, having earned for the State so much respect in the national scene and won the confidence the people of the through his innovations in governance.
These performance indices have been alleged as translating into a huge advantage for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State.
Special Adviser to the Governor of Akwa Ibom State on Political/Legislative Affairs and Water Resources, Barrister Ekong Sampson, gave the analogy while interacting with pressmen on issues raised on his recent feature in live radio programme on Planet FM.
The Special Adviser, in his analogy, described insinuations by an opposition party in the State about the forthcoming local government elections as an absolute case of misplaced fright, further stating that the hope of such political party upstaging the PDP in Akwa Ibom State a mere dream of utopia.
In his words, “I have consistently done advocacy that policy should drive politics and not the other way round. This is the time to hit the stomp with campaigns and win the minds of the electorates, rather than misplaced fright and imagination of things that truly are not playing,” the Special Adviser said.
Barrister Sampson maintained that Akwa Ibom State practices democracy in its truest value and its purest form. That granting people access to opportunity is the key concern of Governor Udom Emmanuel, irrespective of which party one belongs, provided you work hard enough, he added.
“I can say from the privilege of my office that Governor Udom Emmanuel is a true democrat, committed to promoting the best values in democracy, where everyone has access to opportunity, so far as you work hard,” Ekong Sampson stated.
Expounding further, Barrister Sampson said one does not just go to sleep and expect to win elections. He said even as it is obvious that the PDP is the party on ground in Akwa Ibom State, the party does not take chances.
“We campaign because we are democrats. The PDP in Akwa Ibom State is a very serious minded and hard working party. Our mantra is to hold the ground and win the game,” Sampson declared. He admonished that that is what everyone should be doing, rather than dreaming dreams of utopia, about upstaging the PDP, while yet peddling complains that flow from misplaced fright.
Making particular reference to Mkpat Enin LGA, which he termed the largest PDP family in the State, with 14 wards, Ekong Sampson said PDP faithful are working very hard to ensure all 14 Councillors and the chairman of council are elected on the platform of the party.
The Political Affairs mogul further disclosed that the major players in the polity are on the field, set to hit the stomp as the week begins, for the PDP retains its grip in Mkpat Enin and across the State.
Barrister Ekong Sampson thus cautioned, “We have to be careful about some of our actions so that we don’t lay ourselves open for different interpretations,” for different interpretations”.
