By Aniefiok Macauley
Akwa Ibom State governor, Godswill Akpabio, at the weekend made a volte face on the issue of zoning of governorship seat in the state in the 2015 election, saying he is not a product of zoning as the issue of zoning is in God’s hand.
Akpabio, who was responding to question on his succession plan during the Citizens’ Forum/Town Hall meeting held at Government House Banquet Hall as part of the events to mark the end of the Good Governance Tour of the state, said God’s will be done again in 2015.
Akpabio said: “If you ask me, I will tell you that I am not a product of zoning. I am a product of the people.
“In 2007, 58 people from Uyo, Eket and Ikot Ekpene senatorial districts, all contested the primaries, and after the people had spent five days on the street, they finally voted who they wanted and said let’s God’s will be done,” adding “for 2015, zoning is in the hands of God”.
Akpabio’s statement, according to an official of the state government who did not want to be named, said was a pointer to everybody that there will be no zoning of the seat to Eket senatorial district, as it has been agitating.
In his words: “The governor has today told the world that there will be no zoning of the governorship seat in Akwa Ibom come 2015, so that anyone who believes that he has what it takes to govern the state, no matter where he or she may come from, will be free to contest the primaries”.
Apparently misunderstanding Akpabio’s averment that he was not opposed to zoning, the people of Eket Senatorial District about a week ago, rose from stakeholders’ meeting to laud Akpabio for throwing his weight behind zoning of governorship seat in the state in 2015.
Speaking under the aegis of the Eket Senatorial District Assembly (ESDA) in Ikot Abasi, the people unanimously said, “We stand by the governor’s pronouncement that he was not adverse to zoning”.
They had called for indigenes of the zone to “rally round the governor on this landmark pronouncement on zoning”, which according to them, “is in the spirit of fair play, equity and justice to ensure that the 2015 governorship dream for Eket Senatorial is realised”.
The senatorial district made up of Eket, Oron and Ikot Abasi federal constituencies, had “unanimously endorsed the position that the 2015 governorship ticket should go to Eket Senatorial zone”.
Culled from Daily Independent newspaper of Monday, 11 March, 2013
"I am a product of zoning", "I am NOT a product of zoning". From the same mouth? Integrity beckons.
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