The Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel has again warned his predecessor, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, against playing God over who becomes the governor of the state in 2019.
Emmanuel, who was initially expected to follow Akpabio to the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Friday declared his second term ambition on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at a mammoth gathering in Uyo on Friday.
Speaking at the event, Emmanuel said, “Politeness is not weakness. I refused to haul insults, attack people , or call names. I refused to show anger when provoked . All power belongs to God . No man is God . Only God is God . One man in Akwa Ibom State cannot determine who governs or does not; who stays or who doesn ’ t.”
Recall that The Herald had earlier reported how Emmanuel threatened to pay international and local media organisations for coverage of a press conference where he would expose Akpabio’s misdeeds while in office.
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This was after Akpabio said that the APC would take over the state in 2019 like Adolf Hitler invaded Poland in 1940.
Akpabio, who spoke at the burial of his grandmother-in-law last weekend in Enugu, said, “Recently, I had an occasion in Akwa Ibom State and this is what happened: I went just to make a floor declaration; others do it in the social media, others just sit in their offices, some do it by text messages that they have changed platform, what we call party. But in my own, I just decided to do it in an uncommon way because they call me uncommon transformer.
“It was watched in 59 countries and somebody asked what happened there, and I said just how it happened in Poland. When did they ask Hitler’s minister for information about the war in Poland, and he said Warsaw saw war and war saw Warsaw.
“I will say that in the Ikot-Ekpene arena, when I stepped out, this is my first function after that, Warsaw saw war and war saw Warsaw. We can’t talk politics in the church but in 2019 Warsaw shall see war and war shall see Warsaw. The return will be victory. May God grant us all victory.”
However, at a 5,000-man rally by Akwa Ibom indigenes in Lagos to support Emmanuel’s candidacy yesterday, an aide to his wife, Mrs. Nsikan Ukpanah, declared the state government’s resolve not to be intimidated by anyone, especially those in the opposition.
She added that the governor would continue to prioritise his infrastructure development drive and concern for the welfare of residents of the state.
Ukpanah said, “ We are not intimidated at all, it is a free world. The people of Akwa Ibom voted his Excellency , even when they did not know him , and now that they know him and he has performed very well, I can assure you that they will vote for him again in 2019 . We are not intimidated , neither are we afraid of anybody because one man is not enough to hold back the governor , it is the people that matter in situations like this .”
She urged the indigenes to encourage their relatives back home to vote enmasse for Emmanuel during the 2019 gubernatorial election in the state.