Akwa Ibom: APC stakeholders settle for consensus arrangement

Stakeholders in Akwa Ibom State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC), have settled for a consensus arrangement amongst themselves in all the 329 wards of the state.

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The APC group led by Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Ukoete, in a statement released Sunday in Abuja, also commended officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agents for the peaceful exercise.

The statementsaid: “The Akwa Ibom State APC has always had the trappings of a State Chapter not at ease, however the ward Congresses showed otherwise with a great degree of unity by the critical Stakeholders.

“The Akwa Ibom State APC Ward Congress Committee (WCC) held a well-attended Pre-Congress Stakeholders Meeting in Uyo on Friday, 30th July, 2021 at the Party’s State Secretariat, amongst the attendees were the Caretaker State Working Committee of the Party, led by Dr. Ita Udosen. The former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Barr. Bassey Dan-Abia was also in attendance.

“Our investigations revealed that about 95% of critical Akwa Ibom APC stakeholders including the 2015 Governorship candidate of the party, now Managing Director of the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority (OGFZA), Mr. Umana Umana; the 2019 Governorship candidate and former MD NDDC, Obong Nsima Ekere; Senator Nelson Effiong and the National Secretary of APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Sen. John James Akpanudoedehe were on the same page and had a consensus arrangement amongst themselves in all the 329 wards of the state.

“However, only one of the APC stakeholders did not support the arrangement overwhelming backed by majority of APC leaders in the state.

“The leaders therefore used the unity list to call for direct democratic elections during the Congresses. It is instructive that ward congress and delegates nomination forms were adequately supplied and provided to all aspirants for Saturday’s ward congresses, rubbishing fears of hoarding in some quarters.

“The late commencement of the ward congresses in Akwa Ibom was due to the restrictions of movement (7-10am) occasioned by the monthly sanitation exercise in the state. So logistical arrangements forced the exercise to commence at about 1pm, where materials were distributed to the 329 wards in the State.”

Hon. Okoete who is a former member House of Representatives between 2011-2019 also denied the social media reports that the APC Secretariat was burnt.

He added that the “Ward Congresses went on smoothly in the wards visited by reporters and observers. INEC officials who monitored the Congresses described the exercise as credible and transparent. The security agents corroborated this.”

MTO/Today