By; PATRICK TITUS, Uyo
The Akwa Ibom State Chapter Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Aniekan Akpan has assured that the party is positioned to allow a level playing field for all aspirants in the 2023 general elections in the state.
Akpan, who cleared the air when Senator Bassey Albert Akpan paid a consultative visit to the enlarged Executive Committee of the party at its secretariat in Uyo on Monday, said PDP in the state is one united family.
“The party is one and open for all,” The State PDP Chairman declared.
He added saying, “Any political party is for service and a level-playing field involves a proper organisation of voting arrangements without interference, where at end only one person will eventually become the winner.”
The Party Chairman applauded Senator Akpan for effective representation in the senate, describing him as “one of the finest politicians in the state”.
He advised that as Akpan’s campaign started officially, it should be done with love and pleasantries, just as also urged him to focus on his grace, involve God in his campaign and discuss issues.
Earlier, Senator Albert Bassey Akpan, who is a member representing Akwa Ibom North East (Uyo) Senatorial District at Senate, Abuja had declared formally of his intention to run for the office of the governor of Akwa Ibom State in 2023 gubernatorial race.
Senator Akpan, who is the Senate Committee Chairman on Petroleum (Upstream), followed by of his supporters, well-wishers and pary faithful thronged the PDP Secretariat told the party hierarchy, that as a way of rewarding loyalty, they should ensure a level-playing field for all the aspirants in the contest.
Senator Akpan, who is popularly known in the state as ‘OBA’, a leading governorship aspirant assured the party that if the party would remain neutral in coordinating the primaries, he will win landslide to the glory of God and the state PDP.
He thanked the party chairman, Mr. Aniekan Akpan, for steadying the party by his recent comments and actions.
He said there was a time there was a growing concern in the state over the objectivity of the party but that to the glory of God, the leadership eventually arrested the situation.
OBA debunked claims in a section of the media that he had problem with Governor Udom Emmanuel, insisting that his love for the governor remains intact.
He recalled that the love he always had for Gov Emmanuel made him to step down in 2014, to pave way for the peaceful emergence of the governor.
The same love, he added, was also repeated in 2019, when he remained the only Senator standing by the Governor for a second term, after the others decamped to APC.
Enumerating his life-touching impacts, the Senator Akpan enumerated some Akwa Ibom citizens he personally intervened when they were victimised in their places of work.
Additionally, he said he has sponsored about 426 students on scholarship, with monthly stipends. According to him, through his effort, about 21 of those students graduated with first class honours.
