By; PATRICK TITUS, Uyo
Coalition of Akwa Ibom Youth Groups have said that the recent adoption of Pastor Umo Eno for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by Governor Udom Emmanuel as his preferred successor in office in 2023 is a disservice to the people.
The youth groups said only political parties have the mandate to nominate flagbearers for any given election not an individual.
At a joint interaction with the media on Monday, the Speaker of the South-South Youth Assembly (SSYA), Comrade Victor Thompson and leader Youth Democratic Movement (YDM) condemned the governor’s action.According to them, Emmanuel’s action of handpicking a successor before the party’s primary amounted to imposition and an appointment of a Governor for the people.
They wondered why the Governor would hide under the guise of ‘hearing from God’ to impose a Governor on over 6 million indigenes of the state.
Thompson said, “It is no longer news that the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel has, in his bid to exploit the element of the godliness of our people and their affinity to God, has come up with a deceptive vision that God has revealed a successor to him and has single-handedly anointed and purportedly appointed his successor in the person of Pastor Umo Eno. It is very surprising that the Governor is the only person in a state of over 6million, that can hear from God.
“Pastor Umo Eno, a businessman who is currently serving in the present administration as a Commissioner is not a good team player, with known political pedigree.
“The said appointment was in concert with the Governor’s select self-style stakeholders who must have been heavily tinted as such could not have acted otherwise.
“It is pertinent to mention that Pastor Umo Eno who has never been associated with nor interested in the political process in Akwa Ibom state, will suddenly become interested in the race and so appointed without consideration for others who have paid their dues, loyalty, resources, time etc to nurse the administration until now.
“Akwa Ibom is bigger than the inordinate ambition of some characters. Having gone through a lot in the hands of the present political actor, Akwa Ibom needs a fresh, vibrant, purposeful and forthright leadership”, the Coalition stated.
It would be recalled that Governor Emmanuel on Sunday during a PDP stakeholders meeting at Governor’s Lodge, Uyo, announced Pastor Umo Eno as his preferred successor in office and presented him to the Party.
He said that the choice for Pastor Umo Eno, a commissioner for lands and water resources serving in his cabinet, came from a revelation he heard from God.
