From Joe Effiong, Uyo
The Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Moses Ekpo, has dismissed reports that he has indicated an interest to running for the Akwa Ikot North West (Ikot Ekpene) Senatorial District seat in 2023.
The former deputy governor of the state, Chris Ekpenyong, who defeated former governor and now Minister for Niger Delta Affairs Godswill Akpabio in the 2019 general election. is the current occupant of the seat.
But local tabloids in the state are awash with stories that Ekpo has secretly and publicly declared his ambition to take over from Ekpenyong, popularly called Ukarakpa in political circles.
The deputy governor, through his Chief Press Secretary, Ekikere Umoh, refuting the reports through a press release, admitted their knowledge of ‘a string of spurious reports fabricated and placed in some publications, insinuating that the Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Moses Ekpo, MFR, has declared intention to vie for the Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District ticket in 2023.’
The release said the reports are ‘not only false but, epresent a poor attempt by some political jobbers and outright miscreants to pit His Excellency against some perceived political interests with the mischievous intent to please their paymasters while making financial capital out of the misadventure.’
Stressing the deputy governor’s lack of interest in the Senatorial seat, the release emphasised ‘that
the Deputy Governor, Mr Moses F Ekpo, MFR, has neither indicated nor entertained the very thought of running for the Senate in 2023. Nor has he given any thought to the idea of another political office at the end of his tenure.
‘It is on record that at a recent political event at Etim Ekpo Local Government Area he had openly endorsed the aspiration of Barr Emmanuel Enoidem to represent Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District in the National Assembly.
‘Furthermore, as an elder statesman, Mr Moses Ekpo is more concerned about contributing his utmost towards the success of Governor Udom Emmanuel’s Completion Agenda as well as ensuring justice and equity in the distribution of political offices to deserving political blocs in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District within the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) structure.
‘The public is therefore advised to discountenance any statements or publications to the contrary,’ the release said.