Joe Effiong, Uyo

The National Secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator John Akpan Udoedeghe, has warned the people of Akwa Ibom against wholeheartedly following the sentiments of politicians and political parties.

Udoedeghe, who has contested the gubernatorial elections in Akwa Ibom about three times so far, said the warning became expedient because politics and political sentiments were dynamic which could leave diehard followers of a particular cause disappointed even as the politicians move on to pursue their interests.

Giving an example, the former minister of state for the FCT, recalled that some PDP chiefs including former governor Godswill Akpabio were controlling PDP, “but today, they are with me in the APC”, adding: “you don’t know where governor Udom Emmanuel will be tomorrow.”

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, Sen Udoedehe said the APC had since undertaken a rebuilding process and would get its act right for the exercise, especially with the recent reconciliation drive towards entrenching best practices for effective opposition.

While cautioning against mistaking interests for crisis within the APC in Akwa Ibom State, the APC national secretary, who is also a member of the board of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) gave the assurance that other APC members from the state would step forward to contest for governorship in 2023 “But I will win all of them”

Related News

“There is no crisis in Akwa Ibom APC; we are united because we recently had a reconciliation meeting and we all have accepted the need for peace in our party, except you were not at the reconciliation meeting”, he said.

He commended the Akwa Ibom Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) led by Comrade Amos Etuk, for also offering the platform for the opposition to ventilate its views on leadership, explaining that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state may not be the desired El-Dorado for the common good of the people.

“Any government in power will not forget the media because without the media, there would not have been any democracy in the world”, he noted and charged the union to be accommodating to all political parties for equity, fairness and justice.

While decrying the deplorable state of Calabar-Itu highway, noting its untold hardship on commuters, Udoedeghe blamed the situation on the paucity of funds.

“I was on that road for eight hours. I told people that I am coming to Akwa Ibom, people went and crowded the airport during the COVID-19; so to avoid breaking COVID-19 protocol, I used Calabar and ended up on that road for about eight hours.”

“Recently the Obong of Calabar and his council went and met with the President and spoke about the road. From our end, we are doing personal consultation and pleading with the President for that road. Every honest person would not shy away from admitting that the road is in a deplorable state.”