Ex-Senator fails to decamp to PDP at endorsement rally for

Governor berates critics, vows to open can of worms
It was a huge disappointment for supporters of Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel yesterday when Third Republic Senator Etang Umoyo, who was touted to return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), failed to show up at the PDP Eket Senatorial District rally for the endorsement of the governor for a second term.

No explanation was given by the organisers of the event for Umoyo’s absence, but a family source claimed he was hospitalised on Sunday.Senator Umoyo, who represented Eket Senatorial District from 1992 to 1993, last Friday held a meeting with some APC members in Esit-Eket, his local council, to inform them of his decamping, but the party members present challenged him with angry speeches and placards accusing him of receiving N10 million from the governor to destroy the APC in Esit-Eket.

To make up for the senator’s absence at the endorsement rally, Otuekong Idongesit Nkanga, the Director-General of Udom’s Campaign Organisation, hurriedly announced the defection of three APC members who are not from Eket Senatorial District and called the PDP state Chairman, Obong Paul Ekpo, to receive them.

Meanwhile, Emmanuel has challenged those he described as liars to stop giving unfounded and baseless allegations against him and his administration, otherwise he would be forced to open cans of worms.

The governor, who made the threat at the rally, challenged the critics to come up openly as he was ready to spend his personal resources to hire international, national and local media to present facts to the world.