ORUK ANAM
Stakeholders and politicians across the political divide in Oruk Anam local government area on Saturday defied the rains and congregated at the council headquarters to unanimously announced their symbolic defection to the All progressive Congress, APC.
The historic event which took place at Ikot Ebritam, the council headquarters had in attendance the who is who in Oruk Anam politics and served as the final nail on the hapless boat of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP which until few days ago was the ruling party in the state.
The action followed the official defection of the state governor, Pastor Umo Eno from the PDP to APC about two weeks ago.
Governor Eno had during his official defection from the PDP to APC at the Banquette Hall of Government house; Uyo had urged all elected political office holders and government appointees to join him in the progressive movement in order to connect the state to the centre.
The rally which defied the rains to hold was a continuation of the sensitization campaign which had already started at the grassroots through the different units and wards. It was equally sequel to the official tendering of resignation letters by willing members of the political class to their former party leaders at the ward level and subsequent registration with the APC at the same level while the rally served as the crowning moment of the defection process.
Speaking at the event, the council chairman, Mr Sunday Festus said they were all gathered there to announce their official defection from the PDP to the APC in line with the action demonstrated by the state governor who is the political leader of the state. He reiterated the position of the state governor that the defection was a strategic political realignment with the centre for the interest of the state hence Oruk Anam as an important component of Akwa Ibom state cannot be found wanting. He enjoined every citizen of the local government area to join the APC as it was the only viable platform to deliver dividends of democracy to the people of the area.
The council chairman took time out to congratulate the state governor for taking a bold step to align the state with the centre in the political calculus of the country.
Speaking, the chapter chairman of APC for the area, Elder Christopher Nelson assured all former PDP members that they will be protected in the APC saying that their movement into the party will not be a waste of time as every member of the party whether old or new has the same right as they wish of the members cannot be trampled upon.
He charged them to go to their wards and register with the ward chairmen in the 13 INEC recognised wards in the area.
In his goodwill message, a former state chairman of the party, Dr Amadu Attai thanked God for the political development in the state and also commended Pastor Umo Eno for allowing God to use him to achieve political reconciliation in all the political strata of the state.
Attai , who is also a onetime deputy governorship candidate of the party in the state appealed for massive mobilization of the electorates towards winning the next general elections in the state.
Also speaking , the state deputy chairman of the party, Dr David Umoessien urged members of the party to make the transition smooth for the new entrants and stop dragging the position of party leaders on the social media stressing that party leadership is not distributed on social media averring that when the time is ripe the party structure will be streamlined to accommodate all interest.
In their separate goodwill messages, a former deputy speaker of the state house of assembly, Elder Udo Kieran Akpan, the current house member for the area, Mr Sampson Idiong and the State commissioner for Health, Dr Ekem John, all commended the state governor for taking time out to cut the cost of electioneering in the state stressing that the alignment will reduce infighting thus allowing the governor to vote more money into infrastructures and youths empowerment . Kieran specifically stated that apart from being a Special Adviser to the governor, he will always identified with the winning side noting that the APC as it is now is the winning side in the state hence his reason to pitch tent with his boss the state governor.
On their part, a former commissioner of Education, Mrs Idongesit Etiebet promised the women of Oruk Anam local government area more empowerment saying that with what the governor has done for the area through the Ntak Obio Akpa road project and the model school in the area, Oruk Anam women will find it so good with the unfolding development.
Rounding off the goodwill message, the Atuekong Annang, Chief Don Etiebet congratulated the state governor for joining him and the senate president in the APC.
Eteibet , a former national chairman of the defunct , All Peoples Party, APP that later transmuted into the defunct, All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP and later APC said he was happy to identify with his people on that historic day .
The former Petroleum Minister commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Senate President , Godswill Akpabio for giving the state the petroleum ministry maintaining that it was the best thing to happen to the state after his exit as a minister many years ago.
Etiebet , a former presidential candidate of the defunct Centre Party of Nigeria, CPN charged Nigerians to put their differences behind and work towards the re- election of the president, the senate president and the state governor so that they will complete the reforms and infrastructure development projects they have initiated in both the country and the state .
Other political heavy weights from the area that graced the rally were, a former commissioner for health in the state, Dr Udoma Ekarika, Chief Sunny Udom , Chief Okoko, Engr Aniekan Abraham; an aide to the Senate President, all the councillors and supervisors and aides to the state governor.
Highpoint of the event was the official presentation of the APC symbol; broom to all the stakeholders by the APC chapter chairman. Indeed as the council chairman predicted, the rains was not over bearing neither did the attendant sun provided anything less than warmth needed to see through the epoch making occasion. Oruk Anam is indeed APC.
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