A former Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Dr. Chris Ekpenyong, has said for the Peoples Democratic Party to win the 2015 governorship election in the state, no candidate should be imposed on the party.
Ekpenyong, who is the Director-General of Restoration 2015 campaign organisation, which is working towards the emergence of Mr. Benjamin Okoko as the PDP flag bearer, said imposition of candidate on any political party by certain individuals to serve their interests had often back fired.
Speaking in Ikono on Thursday, the ex-deputy governor stated that every political party had equal chances in any electoral contest, noting that no party could claim victory as its exclusive preserve.
“If the PDP wants to win the governorship election in Akwa Ibom State, the party must be allowed to choose its own candidate. The party must be bold enough to reject any candidate being imposed on it. Every aspirant must be given equal chances in the primaries”, he said.
Ekpenyong had stated in Etinan that the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Godswill Akpabio, had only succeeded in winning the clamor for zoning of governorship position to Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District and not for the choice of a successor.
He stated that the choice of Akpabio’s successor rests with Akwa Ibom people and not on any individual trying to impose his choice on the people of the state.
He added that it would be a miscalculation for anyone to assume that power could go back to Uyo Senatorial District, which had produced a governor in the person of Obong Victor Attah for eight years.
“If there is anything Akpabio has done for the people of Akwa Ibom State, it is the fight he has won for zoning the 2015 governorship position to Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District, but not for who will become the governor. The choice of who becomes the governor rests with the people.
“If anybody says that the governorship must go back to Uyo, the person is doing the people a disservice, power must rotate within the state”, he said.
In his remarks, Okoko said apart from being a founding father of PDP in the state, he started his political life as a deputy chairman (state) before rising to become the second National Publicity Secretary of the party, among others.
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