Akpabio’s second term senatorial bid under threat over zoning

Ex-aide describes his claims on Channels TV ‘face saving’

Former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio’s hope of going back to the Senate in 2019 without challenges might be a mirage as a former member of the House of Representatives and senatorial aspirant under the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Mr. Ekperikpe Ekpo, has said that the position is for Abak Federal Constituency.

He made this declaration yesterday while addressing the people of Abak 5 under the umbrella of Abak Redemption Movement (ARM) at the Youth Development Centre in Abak.Ekpo, a former chairman of Ika Local Council, stressed that the Abak Federal Constituency had been unjustly marginalised, adding that time has come for them to produce somebody as a senator to represent Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District.

Besides, he said the constituency had been a victim of 58 years of marginalisation as the federal constituency remains the only in the country without ever producing a senator.He, therefore, urged the people to be challenged to correct the injustice meted out to the area.

In another development, a one-time Commissioner for Economic Development in Akpabio’s administration, Mr. Samuel Efanga, has faulted the former governor’s claims that his reference to ‘Warsaw saw war and war saw Warsaw in Poland’ was as a reaction to Governor Udom Emmanuel’s statement on war. He said such claim was face-saving.

Efanga made this observation yesterday while speaking with journalists in Uyo on the subject matter, saying that since the former governor decamped from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), chanting of war songs had been his stock in trade as such was almost becoming an anthem for him.

Also, the Co-ordinator of Coalition of Human Rights Community in Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Clifford.Thomas, said: “We condemn every call for war and violence in totality; we need peace in the state because peace is the only catalyst for development. The statement credited and severally repeated by Akpabio is a threat to peace and we want to say that anyone who threatens the peace of this state, should be invited by the security agencies to explain.”