FROM: JOE EFFIONG, UYO,
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders in Eket senatorial district of Akwa Ibom State have expressed their delight at the halt of mass defection which hit the party prior to the Supreme Court decision confirming Sen. Ahmed Makarfi as the authentic national chairman of the party.
The leader of the party in the senatorial district and former minister of lands, housing and urban development, Chief Nduese Essien, who addressed the meeting of the party stakeholders at the weekend, said that the spate of decampment has abated.
“The fickle-minded persons who thought the PDP would die and went to eat elsewhere have found the other side to be worse than PDP. Many of them have applied to return to where there is hope. Please be magnanimous in accepting them back for they knew not what they did.” Essien said
In the meeting did not only expressed support for Governor Udom Emmanuel but also endorsed him a sole candidate for second term in 2019 gubernatorial election. Essien said the district leaders had agreed that despite political distractions and the current economic challenges in the country, the Governor has performed creditably well.
The purpose of the converge which was to review the developments in the state under the administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel had in attendance 20 delegates from the 12 local government areas of the district, as well as PDP state working committee members, state lawmakers, members of the state executive council, as well women and youth leaders from the senatorial district.
Essien, who is a two-term member of the House of Representatives, stated that the meeting was necessary to discuss the progress made so far by the government, and lauded the achievement of the Governor since inception, despite all the political and legal battles of the first two years.
He specifically thanked Uyo and Ikot Ekpene senatorial districts for the support to the governor, and assured that the indices on ground pointed to the fact that the state is in safe hands of an efficient manager of human and financial resources.
A six-point comunique issued at at the end of the meeting highlighted the new political structure of the District which is expected to work in support of Gov. Udom Emmanuel and the interest of the senatorial district.
It comprises the PDP political leader of each Local Government, former deputy Governors who are still members of the party,