Akwa Ibom: Gov. Emmanuel, PDP speak on tribunal victory, advise APC

Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have attributed the victory they got at the Governorship election petition tribunal in Uyo as a confirmation of the peoples’ will and that of God.

They added that the opposition party in the state, APC should accept the verdict of the tribunal in good faith.

In a statement released immediately after the tribunal judgement, Gov. Emmanuel who thanked Akwa Ibom people for standing by him all the while urged the defeated APC members to join hands with him to take the state to an enviable height.

Gov. Emmanuel said, “Today, the overwhelming victory that the good people of Akwa Ibom State gave me at the March 9, 2019 gubernatorial election was again reaffirmed by the Election Petition Tribunal.

“Let me use this opportunity to thank our ONLY GOD who saw us through the campaigns, the elections and the victory without any loss of lives. This could only have happened because we believe in God and His presence and guidance has never departed and will never depart from this State.

“To you my dear and great Akwaibomites, thank you for the love, faith, belief and trust you have shown me, your prayers and hope in my capacity to take this State to a place and point that would stand out as a source of reference in what an inspired and people-centric governance can and should be.

“To my fellow brothers and sisters on the opposite end of the political divide, I am extending my hand of fellowship again to join me in building a State that would be the pride of us all- an economically viable, infrastructurally developed , morally sound and forward-looking State where the abiding cords of our unity and brotherhood will be strengthened.”

He noted that there must be a winner and a loser in every political contest, therefore, any person who finds himself in a particular side should accept it.

”A winner must emerge and the loser must accept the verdict of the people. The Akwa Ibom people have spoken-they spoke loudly and clearly on March 9, 2019, by overwhelmingly re-electing me to a second term. The time has come for us to come together and move our dear State forward. The Completion Agenda is an Akwa Ibom Agenda and we must all be invested in its execution.” The governor said.

Similarly, the State Chairman of PDP, Obong Paul Ekpo, in a press conference tagged ‘Only God Reigns’ held at the party’s secretariat, Edet Akpan, said the election judgment was divine and in tandem with the political realities in the state.

According to him, “this is not a judgement that is postulating on what ought to be, but a clear admission of what was and what is. Today, with the Tribunal becoming functus Officio by the delivery of their judgement, we can safely thank God for numerous victories. We were told that we could not and will not win the elections, but because no man can conclude a matter that God has not concluded, the elections went our way;

“They said that they will upturn our victory at the tribunal and we questioned who is he that says a thing and it comes to pass when the Lord has not commanded? Our disposition was to approach the being who is at the centre of creation- our creator himself and the tribunal has not only given judgement in our favour, but the chairman and members of the panel have said severally in open court, that our state is very peaceful and our people very accommodating- this is in contradistinction with the picture painted by the main opposition party in the state.”

He, therefore, thanked Akwa Ibom people, PDP supporters and the party’s legal teams

led by Dr Onyinyechi Ikpeazu SAN, Tayo Oyetibo SAN and the Legal department of the Party, led by Goddy Umoh Esq, for the display of legal mastery and doggedness stressing that PDP victories at the tribunal were well deserved.

“We congratulate all our candidates who have become judicially(stage 1) confirmed especially the leader of our party, our Governorship Candidate in the last election and the second term Governor of our State, HE Mr. Udom Emmanuel on their electoral victories, which are now receiving judicial approval. We are hopeful that the entire legal architecture up to it’s zenith, will be reflective of the socio-political temperature of the wishes of our people and will uphold the sanctity of the ballot.” The Chairman said.