AWKA IBOM: PDP, APC INTENSIFY STRATEGIES

AS the country gets ready for the governorship election on Saturday, April 11, 2015, the two major political parties in Akwa Ibom State, the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, and All Progressives Congress, APC, have once again commenced traversing the nooks and crannies of the state to woo the electorate.

There have been serious confusion among PDP supporters since the emergence of Major -General Buhari’s of the APC as president-elect as many fear that his win could affect the outcome of the governorship elections.

However the current situation in the state is that both political parties seem to be targeting and focusing their campaigns on those areas they perceive as seriously challenging to their chances of clinching the governorship polls.

Udom and Umana

Group Capt Samuel Ewang, a member of the Board of Trustees of the APC said on Monday in Uyo that the President-elect, Buhari who is presently touring some including Rivers, Imo and Akwa Ibom on a thank you visit will also use the opportunity to talk to Akwa Ibom people as part of strategies to encourage them to vote the party during the April 11 governorship polls.

Also,  on Sunday,  APC supporters marched round the streets of Eket Federal constituency where the PDP Candidate, Mr. Udom Emmanuel hails from to woo the electorate to identify with the APC which is going to become the ruling party at the centre.

Apart from Oron Federal constituency of the Oro nation, the APC views it important to capture the Ikot Abasi and Eket Federal constituencies making up Eket Senatorial district where the PDP has zoned the governorship to.

Similarly the PDP also commenced rallies from  yesterday a tour of all the major streets in Uyo Federal Constituency where the APC governorship candidate Umana Okon Umana hails from and by extension the senatorial district as part of continued effort to educate their supporters and indeed Akwa Ibom electorates on why they should remain in PDP despite the change at the centre.

Apart from being the home of the APC governorship candidate, the district which comprises Uyo, the state capital, Uruan, Ibesikpo, Itu, Ibiono Ibom, Nsit Ibom, Nsit Ubium has consistently posed serious threats to Akpabio’s government since 2011.

Mrs. Comfort Williams, the chief press secretary to Unoma Akpabio, the governor’s wife, said yesterday in Uyo that Akwa Ibom women campaigners were not deterred by the development as they have continued their sensitization of the grass-roots women ahead of the governorship polls.

She revealed that the emergence of the APC as winner of the presidential election has actually spurred the PDP women campaigners to intensify their efforts.

Also the Director General of Udom Emmanuel Campaign, Idongesit Nkanga said “we cannot go to sleep because there is a lot of work to do before the April 11, 2015 election.”

He said they are currently educating the people to understand that even Lagos State which had been running an opposition government since 1999 has been doing well in developing the state and therefore the issue that Akwa Ibom state plays national politics does not come in, but the fact that the people must vote a candidate who will be prudent enough to put into use the funds coming into the state and to consolidate on the uncommon transformation of the state

But publicist to Umana Okon Umana and a one time Commissioner for Information in the state Mr. Ita Awak was of the opinion that Akwa Ibom people will key into the government of Buhari and also will vote APC on Saturday election.

His argument is that Akwa Ibom State since inception of present democracy have always played national politics which explained why the state had been predominantly PDP over the years even as he recalled how governor Akpabio has variously during the campaign advised the people not to play opposition party.