FRESH PRIMARIES: PDP EXONERATES GOVERNOR AKPABIO

By Aniekan Umanah
Hon. Commissioner, Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Information & Social Re-Orientation

AKSG PRESS RELEASE (Posted: January 15, 2011)

FRESH PRIMARIES: PDP EXONERATES GOVERNOR AKPABIO

The national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has exonerated the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio over its decision to conduct fresh primaries in the state on January 15, 2011.

The national organizing secretary of the party, Prince Uche Secondus had in a press release stated that following confirmed reports that some aspirants who received late clearance from the screening panel for the gubernatorial primary election in Akwa Ibom State were unable to participate in the exercise conducted on January 9, 2011 due to late arrival, the National Working Committee had ordered a repeat of the gubernatorial primary election in the state.

But a letter by the National Legal Adviser of the party, Chief Olusola Oke to Governor Akpabio �regretted� that the Governor stood affected by the decision which he was in no way responsible for the circumstance leading to it.

The letter states in part �This is to inform Your Excellency that the National Working Committee at its meeting of 14th January, 2011 considered the petition of Rt. Hon. Imo Udo (JP) on the above subject matter and painfully resolved to conduct fresh governorship primary election for the purpose of nominating its candidate for the governorship election holding later in the year.�

The letter said further, �The above decision became necessary in order to afford all members equal opportunity to actualize themselves. It is regrettable that you stand affected by the above decision even though you are in no way responsible for the circumstance leading to the decision.�

In an appeal of a sort, the national legal adviser pleaded, �As a committed leader and member of our great party, we trust that you would accept this development in good faith by cooperating with the party for a successful primary election� he said.

It would be recalled that during the primaries conducted on January 9, 2011, Governor Akpabio had personally intervened and pleaded with the returning officer, Barrister Femi Ibitoye to allow his opponents, Imo Udo and Frank Okon stand for the election when they surfaced late at the venue with clearance certificates purportedly issued to them by the national secretariat of the party. But the returning officer had insisted that he had no communication from the national secretariat and would not oblige their request.

Already the atmosphere in the state is palpable as the supporters of Governor Akpabio eagerly awaited the repeat primary election which they said the result would not be different from the earlier one which the Governor recorded over 99 percent of the votes cast.