2023: APC leaders ask Akpabio to withdraw from senatorial elections

Some All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders in the northwestern district of Akwa Ibom have urged former Niger Delta affairs minister Godswill Akpabio to step down from Saturday's elections in the district.

Mr. Akpabio is the APC candidate for senatorial elections in the district, also known as Ikot Ekpene district.

The district's APC leaders participated in a meeting held in Ikot Ekpene town on Tuesday under the auspices of the Ikot Ekpene Senate District Leaders Forum, where a decision was made against Mr. Akpabio and others also affected by it.

A statement released after the meeting said candidates from three areas of the district, including the one where the former minister is from, should not stand for election. Their decision, according to them, is because the three affected neighborhoods of the borough had produced senators, while there is a part that had not yet produced any for 56 years, since 1963.

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"Based on the foregoing, and in the interests of peace, unity, progress, and the harmonious coexistence of the senatorial district, we hereby urge the other three federal districts to stand for senatorial elections in 2023," the statement said.

The North West District of Akwa Ibom consists of four Federal Constituencies (Ikot Ekpene Federal Constituency, Ukanafun-Oruk Anam Federal Constituency, Abak Federal Constituency and Ikono-Ini Federal Constituency ).

Mr. Akpabio's federal constituency of Ikot Ekpene has produced a senator five times, from 1963 to date, and that includes Mr. Akpabio's election as a senator in 2015.

Christopher Ekpenyong, the current senator representing the district, is from Mr Akpabio's constituency.

The federal constituency of Ikono/Ini produced a senator twice, while Ukanafun/Oruk Anam produced a senator three times.

The federal constituency of Abak is the only constituency in the district that has not yet produced a senator.

"Our Stance"

"When it was the turn of the federal constituency of Abak in 2007, they were persuaded to allow our brothers Ibibio of the federal constituency of Ikono/Ini to have a chance, as a sacrifice and a balance, to allow the governor at the time, Godswill Akpabio, to win the elections for the two terms he served.

"In 2015, when it was the turn of the federal constituency of Abak, again they sacrificed their turn to the federal constituency of Ikot Ekpene in compensation to former governor Godswill Akpabio," says the press release.

Those who attended the meeting said they despised Mr. Akpabio's refusal to learn about the political history of the district, and that his participation in the election would only show his "arrogance" and his "ingratitude".

“Therefore we, the political leaders of the senate district, have unanimously, regardless of political party affiliation, endorsed and adopted Barr Emmanuel Enoidem of Abak Federal Constituency to be elected in the district in order to win and become our senator in the February 25 Senate election.

"We implore all eligible voters in the district to heed this position of the Senate District Leaders and vote for Barr Emmanuel Enoidem, considered the strongest of all the candidates for the Federal Constituency of Abak," says the press release.

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