Stakeholders of All Progressives Congress (APC) Abak-Five Political bloc in Akwa Ibom North West senatorial district have united in support of the senatorial aspiration of the former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio.
The stakeholders called on the people of the senatorial district to disregard the statement by some political opponents of Akpabio, led by former petroleum minister, Atuekong Don Etiebet, that the political bloc would not support Akpabio, describing such stance as self-serving and dead on arrival.
Convener of the Forum and former member of House of Representatives, Ekperikpe Ekpo, disclosed that stakeholders of Abak Five, comprising state officers of APC from old Abak division, the five chapters chairmen of APC, 55 APC wards chairmen, candidates of APC, and critical stakeholders from the old Abak division met to forestall being railroaded into a political decision that would mar their collective interests and well being.
According to the communique, “APC stakeholders in Abak-Five note with grave sadness the spurious claims of Etiebet which noted that stakeholders in the region had reached a resolution not to support Akpabio and questions how he arrived at such stakeholders to the exclusion of chapters and wards chairmen of APC; a party he audaciously parades himself as a caucus leader. How can he be an effective leader without the follower-ship of people at the grassroots which we represent.
“We reject, in all its entirety, the purported resolution by Etiebet that Abak-Five should support a candidate of another political party other than APC and view this reckless decision as an anti-party act that should not be condoned under any guise.
“As APC members from Abak-Five, we disassociate ourselves from the statement credited to Etiebet that Abak-Five will support the senatorial candidate of Peoples Democratic Party in the forthcoming National Assembly elections of February 25 with particular reference to the candidacy of Akwa Ibom North West senatorial district.
“That we, the stakeholders, from Abak-Five have unanimously resolved to support Akpabio from Ikot-Ekpene/Essien-Udim/Obot Akara federal constituency because of his capacity, the oneness and unification of Annang and the conviction that he would bring more dividends of democracy without recourse to cleavage sentiments.
“That we, the stakeholders of APC from Abak-Five, endorse all APC candidates, including Bola Ahmed Tinubu for president, Obong Akanimo Udofia for governor, Akpabio for Senate, all House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates of APC.
“We call on the the National Chairman of our party, Abdullahi Adamu, state Chairman, Stephen Ntukekpo, the NWC and SWC, to visit the full weight of sanctions as prescribed in our party constitution, on Etiebet and co-travellers, for engaging in anti-party activities. This will serve as a deterrence to other fifth-columnists and restore sanity in our party as we approach the general election.
“Finally, stakeholders of APC from Abak-Five state without equivocation that Etiebet has no authority to speak on behalf of Abak-Five without the consent of the wards chairmen, chapters chairmen, state officers and stakeholders of APC from Abak-Five.
”We call on all and sundry from Abak-Five to ignore the claims of rejection of Akpabio by Etiebet as such position is dead on arrival,” they said in the communiqué.