Akwa Ibom Governor, Emmanuel to Declare for Second Term Tomorrow

The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel will on Friday make a declaration to contest the 2019 governorship race in the state on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform at the Godswill Akpabio’s International Stadium.

The governor had during a mega rally held in his country home in Onna Local Government Area last Monday hinted of his intention to formally declare to contest for second term in the 2019 governorship race bringing to rest insinuations of his plan to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking at a press conference yesterday at the NUJ Press Centre, Uyo, the Director General (DG) of the campaign organisation, the Divine Mandate Organisation, Idongesit Nkanga, said Emmanuel’s second term quest was in line with justice, equity and fair play.

Nkanga explained that the governor is seeking second term because he has fulfilled his five-point pre-election agenda to the electorate.

Urging the citizens and party faithful to support the governor to win the 2019 governorship election, he said it would be out of place for Emmanuel’s second term to be truncated when former Governors Obong Victor Attah (1999-2007), from Uyo senatorial district and Godswill Akpabio (2007 to 2015) from Ikot Ekpene, had their two terms.

The chairman of the governor’s declaration planning committee for second term, Hon. Onofiok Luke, said the governor blue print for the state would be fully realised if he wins the 2019 governorship election.

Luke, who is the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, said: “Governor Emmanuel is set to response positively  to the clarion call by Akwa Ibom people of different economic and social classes that he should remain in office as governor till the year 2023.

“August 24, 2018, 10 a.m. at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Governor Udom Emmanuel will answer the call to run for a second term.

“He will be seeking the votes of Akwa Ibom people to lead them for another four years from 2019 to 2023 in order to concretise the industrialisation agenda for our state.

 “It is now an incontrovertible fact that since the return of democracy in 1999, the state has prominently featured in the small league of states in Nigeria which has had the benefit of development-driven leadership.

“We have been fortunate to have been led by people who envisioned, inspired and worked assiduously towards the actualisation or our collective greatness, and the leadership of Governor Emmanuel is not an exception in this regard.

“The Emmanuel era has come with a rare definition of quality leadership, and recalled that this administration was birthed on a 5-point pillar of wealth creation, poverty alleviation, economic and political inclusion, infrastructural consolidation and expansion.”