Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, on Friday declared his intention to seek re-election, saying his current performance would return him to the Government House.
Emmanuel made the declaration in Uyo and said that his industrialisation effort in the state was part of his major achievements since his inauguration in 2015.
The governor, who has engaged in public spat with his predecessor, Godswill Akpabio, also called on the Holy Ghost fire to burn those who wish evil on the state.
“No man is God. I submit myself for consideration to continue with the good work that I have done and I seek your support for my candidature as governor for a second term,” the 52-year-old said.
The governor urged the people to support his aspiration for a second term for the sustenance of the tempo of good governance he had introduced in the state.
Referring to insinuation by Akpabio that the 2019 elections in Akwa Ibom will be like war, Emmanuel Addressing the people, he said: “I hate human beings boasting that Akwa Ibom politics in 2019 will be like war, the invasion of Poland by Hitler. Is that what you people want?
“Is that somebody who wishes well for the Akwa Ibom people? How can you say you want to come and kill 6.2 million people because of politics? How many people did Hitler kill? The only thing that they have for you is that they want to come and kill Akwa Ibom people like Hitler. Is that politics? Is that development? Is that industry? Is that what they are supposed to do?
“So let’s burn them. Whoever is wishing Akwa Ibom a political situation of 2019, that Akwa Ibom will be like the invasion of Hitler, we say Holy Ghost fire. Whoever is buying guns trying to kill our children, meanwhile they’ve gone to hide their own children abroad, and they want to come and kill our own, we say Holy Ghost fire.”
He said that his predecessor left behind some uncompleted projects, including the Sheraton by Four Points Hotel at Ikot Ekpene and the Uyo – Ikot Ekpene road project.
In a remark, the Speaker, Akwa Ibom House of Assembly, Onofiok Luke, charged members and supporters of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state to work towards the party’s victory at the polls in 2019.
Chairman of Emmanuel’s Re-election Committee and former military administrator of the state, Idongesit Nkanga, also appealed to the people to support the governor for a second term.
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers in his solidarity message assured Gov. Emmanuel that he would be returned based on track record of his quality works in the state in the last three years.
He urged the people not to allow external influence to alter “the political arrangement ably directed by the PDP since 1999 in Akwa Ibom.”
