Youths in Akwa Ibom have criticized Governor Udom Emmanuel for his stance on the state Lands and Water Resources commissioner, Mr Umoh Enoh, who he recently nominated as his preferred governorship candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).
Under the aegis of Coalition Akwa Ibom Youth Groups(CAIG), the youths said only political parties have the mandate to nominate flagbearers for any given election not an individual.
They made this known in a joint press conference on Monday addressed by the Speaker of the South-South Youth Assembly (SSYA), Comrade Victor Thompson and leader Youth Democratic Movement (YDM).
According to them, Emmanuel’s action of handpicking a successor before the party’s primary amounted to imposition and an appointment of a governor for the people and wondered why the governor would hide under the guise of ‘hearing from God’ to impose a governor on over 6 million indigenes of the state.
“It is no longer news that Akwa Ibom state governor, Mr. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel has, in his birthday to exploit the element of his godliness of our people and their affinity to God, has come up with a deceptive vision that God has revealed a successor to him and has singlehandedly anointed and purportedly appointed his successor in the person of Pastor Umo Eno.
“It is very surprising that the governor is the only person in the state of over 6 million that can hear from God. The governor on the other hand has done a great disservice to the good and sensibility of over 6 million Akwa Ibom persons by singlehandedly trying to impose a liability on Akwa Ibom political space for yet to be disclosed reasons.
“It is pertinent to mention that Pastor Umo Eno who has never been associated with nor interested in the political process in Akwa Ibom state, will suddenly become interested in the race and so appointed without consideration for others who have paid their dues, loyalty, resources, time etc to nurse the administration until now.
“Akwa Ibom is bigger than the inordinate ambition of some characters. Having gone through a lot in the hands of the present political actor, Akwa Ibom needs a fresh, vibrant, purposeful and forthright leadership.” They said.
