A frontline governorship aspirant of the All Progressive Congress, APC, in Akwa Ibom, Prof Chris Ekong has endorsed the candidature of Mr Akan Udofia who was elected last week by party delegates.
Ekong, a former commissioner for youths and sports in the state told correspondents on Tuesday in Uyo that the clarification was necessitated following contrary opinions from some members of the party on his stand in the election.
He said he was not compromised to take his stand adding that his action was for the unity and progress of the party.
“As esteemed practitioners in the Fourth Estate of the realm, you wi however, recall that soon after the conduct and conclusion of the A Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial primaries in Akwa Ibom State had promptly issued a Press Statement declaring my clear stand a unconditional acceptance of the entire outcome of that well respected an celebrated exercise.
“I did this, first as a frontline contender in the said race; but most important as a critical participant in the exercise; and whose ultimate interest was emerge as the most preferred and acceptable choice of our great party.
“The grand desire was expectedly projected to be thrown up as the genera expressed goodwill of a majority delegates of our great party, to whom I respectfully solicited their popular mandate to fly and indeed, bear the flag our great party as her prime candidate in the upcoming gubernate elections of 2023.
“However, with the close of that august and benchmark event which saw one of the most accomplished sons of our great state emerge and become declared the democratically preferred choice of our esteemed delegates at the polls, I had acted in the true spirit of sportsmanship, appreciated and as well, accepted the position and decision of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as being sacrosanct and supreme in the concluded exercise.” He explained.
He blamed some chieftains of the party for their irresponsible role in the primary election describing them as serial political entrepreneurs who had in the past exploited suffering members of the party.
“Gentlemen of the Press, I can boldly therefore reveal that the action of some of these respected and not too respected compatriots, in the APC is nothing new.
“They are deliberately setting it on course, to however, grapple with the destiny of the party; and themselves, remaining some serial political entrepreneurs whose traditional stock-in-trade is to trade the fortunes of the party for their often see through personal and vaulted gains.
“But the times, certainly have changed and we perhaps need to see these in the critical light of our political history as a political party in Akwa Ibom State. Let me transparently present the APC history and fate in this manner.
“The APC Akwa Ibom State since 2015 has suffered several bouts of self inflicted loses at the polls. Many of the loses had derived from inflexibility of persons who had contested for the rights to the gubernatorial slot of the party with venom that makes them decide that they cannot at any point accept the choice of the party men and women except, when such decisions were taken exclusively in their particular favour.” He said.
He maintained that the major interest of genuine members of the party remained to win elections pointing out that any, ” every obstacle on our road and quest to realize this must be avoided. We must accept the choice of the people and that of the party as a sacrosanct mandate that should be allowed to rule the day.”
