Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel will today declare his intention to contest for a second term on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Emmanuel had, on Monday, during an endorsement rally by the people of Eket Senatorial District at Onna Township Stadium, hinted that he will declare his interest to vie for the Hilltop Mansion for a second term.
At a pre-declaration press conference at the NUJ Press Centre, Uyo, Director General of his Divine Mandate Organisation, former Military Administrator Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga, said Emmanuel’s second term quest was anchored on justice, equity and fair play.
According to Nkanga, the governor’s second term declaration is in tandem with the power rotation agreement among the three senatorial districts, adding that Uyo and Ikot Ekpene senatorial districts had done eight years, therefore it is only fair Emmanuel from Eket complete his eight years.
He said the governor would declare today (Friday, August 24), at the 30,000-capacity Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, where PDP supporters and stakeholders are expected to show solidarity and endorsement.
According to Air Commodore Nkanga, who also led Udom’s first term campaign organisation, the governor’s track-records of effective performance in his five-point pre-election agenda, will recommend him for re-election.
He urged party faithful and the electorate to rally round the governor’s second term agitation, adding that it will be out of place for Udom’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.
Chairman of the Central Planning Committee (CPC), Onofiok Luke, Speaker of the House of Assembly, said Udom would only realise his industrialisation agenda when assisted to secure his second tenure.
“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”, he said, and urged the people not to be distracted by political sentiments going on.
Commissioner for Information Charles Udoh said his boss deserved a second term, going by performance in key areas; roads, job creation, security and infrastructural consolidation.