2023: Why Akpabio will fail in its LGA – Chairman of the Board

Essien Udim local government council chairman, Anthony Luke, has vowed that a former minister for Niger Delta affairs, Godswill Akpabio, will fail “miserably” in the 2023 senatorial elections for the North West District of Akwa Ibom.

Mr. Akpabio, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the district, hails from the local government area of ​​Essien Udim.

The Chairman of Essien Udim, Mr Luke, speaking to reporters in Uyo on Monday, said Mr Akpabio was not popular in Essien Udim as people are led to believe.

He said that Mr. Akpabio, while he was governor, concentrated development projects in his community of Ukana to the detriment of several other communities in the local government area. This, he says, made him unpopular among the people.

"What measure would they use to support him (Akpabio), when we have the Ukana Clinic in Ukana, when we have the MOPOL base in Ukana, when we have the Federal Polytechnic in Ukana, when we have the police secondary school in Ukana?< /p>

"What will my staff and others have to show? What's in Odoro Ikot? What do we have to show in Afaha? What do we have to show in Ukana West 1?What should we show in Ikpe?What should we show in Adiasim?What should we show in Ekpenyong 1 and 2?

"Ukana can back him but write him down, he (Akpabio) can't win at Essien Udim," Mr Luke said.

“My parish would not support it. The other time (2019 election), their party (APC) got zero votes in my community, Okon.”

In addition to Akwa Ibom being primarily a People's Democratic Party (PDP) state, Mr. Luke said the people of Essien Udim would vote overwhelmingly for all PDP candidates to show their appreciation to the party for having appointed Mr. Akapbio governor and later a minority leader in the Senate when he was a member of the PDP.

"Essien Udim people can never be ungrateful to the PDP. What are you saying, because he is in another party we will go and support him. An Essien Udim man is not not an ingrate. Therefore, we cannot support anyone who is not from the PDP. An Essien Udim man has integrity, we don't do that.

“The Senate is for the 10 local government areas of the district, it is not for Essien Udim. this day, when no one has been a senator from the federal district of Abak, for about 60 years now. Isn't this place part of the senatorial district?

"They too should have a chance. Akpabio should rest and send his boys to the Senate.

“For the Senate, the people of Essien Udim support Emmanuel Enoidem. He will obtain more than 90% of the votes in Essien Udim. They will vote for Umo Eno for the governorship.

"Akpabio only did good for his Ukana community, not for Essien Udim. Akpabio has no special anointing to stay in political power, he has to give another person a chance. People who think that Akpabio is going to win this election dream,” Mr. Luke said.

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