Akwa Ibom APC Leaders Buy Guber Form for Ekere

Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State on Tuesday presented the party’s gubernatorial expression of interest and nomination forms, which they had bought, to the Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Nsima Ekere with a call on him to contest the 2019 election.

Ekere was presented with the forms at a rally by the people of Akwa Ibom (Eket) Senatorial District to honour him and endorse President Muhammadu Buhari held in Eket.

Led by Atuekong Don Etiebet, the APC State Caucus Chairman and former Petroleum Resources Minister, party leaders that bought and presented the forms to Ekere included Senator Godswill Akpabio, former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Nelson Efiong, representative of Akwa Ibom South senatorial district in the National Assembly, Senator Ita Enang, Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly (Senate) Matters, Mr. Umana Umana, Managing Director of Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority, and Mr. Ben Ukpong, National Population Commissioner for Akwa Ibom State.

Ntufam Hilliard Ettah, the APC National Vice Chairman (South-South Zone), Mr Ini Okopido, the Akwa Ibom State APC Chairman, and Barr Bassey Dan-Abia, a governorship aspirant and former NDDC Managing Director, were among those who witnessed the presentation.

Atuekong Etiebet urged Mr Ekere to accept the form, fill and return it before the deadline set by the party’s National Headquarters.

He hinted that with all the major APC leaders in Akwa Ibom State supporting Mr Ekere, the party may choose its governorship candidate by consensus.

Senator Akpabio, who drove the crowd ecstatic with solidarity songs for Mr Ekere, said the NDDC boss had already been endorsed by his Akwa Ibom North-West (Ikot Ekpene) Senatorial District.

“We are yet to fully take a decision on whether it should be direct primaries or consensus but I know in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, Nsima Ekere has already been endorsed...APC is going to rule Akwa Ibom in 2019,” he said.

Though he urged the party not to preclude other aspirants outside Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District from buying nomination forms, Senator Akpabio, a former Governor of the state, argued that that they were contesting in vain as Mr Ekere’s victory was certain.

“I want to make one point very clear. When I was contesting in 2007, it was the turn of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District. But people from Eket and Uyo Senatorial Districts also bought forms. I want to plead with you to make sure that our party is richer. Even though Nsima Ekere is going to the Governor, please go and buy form for governorship. You are not going to be stopped from contesting. This is democracy. What Akwa Ibom people are saying today is that Eket Senatorial District should have two tenures and it should end in 2023. Therefore, no matter where you come from, if you are not from Eket Senatorial District, you are contesting in vain. I think that is the message,” he said.