You can’t become governor without incumbent’s support – Akpabio

Governor Godswill Akpabio

By Etim Ekpimah

The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Godswill Akpabio, has said nobody can become a governor of a state without the support of the incumbent governor.

Speaking during the inauguration of the Peoples Democratic Party campaign organisation in Uyo on Tuesday night, the governor stated that he was a part of former Governor Victor Attah’s succession plan.

According to Akpabio, he has never seen himself as someone who was not supported by Attah.

He said Attah encouraged him contest the governorship.

He disclosed that the former state governor had wanted him to be his deputy so that he could take over from him in 2007.

Akpabio alleged that the grouse of some of the 22 aggrieved PDP governorship aspirants in the state was that a sitting governor had never produced a successor in the state and that his case should not be an exception.

He added, “I have never seen myself as someone who was not supported by Attah, no. I was part of his succession plan. You emerge from a system where the incumbent governor also supports you. An incumbent governor supported me; that is the simple truth.

“Some of them in Abuja, their anger is that after all, a precedent had been set: the incumbent governor should not produce a successor. I told them they do not understand.

“It is not easy; it was the incumbent governor that produced me. I was a commissioner for five and a half years. I stayed until it was time for me to resign like the PDP governorship candidate in the state, Udom Emmanuel, resigned and I contested. Attah gave me his blessings. I went with my wife. I gave him drink, I said, sir, ‘I am now coming out to contest your position’.

“So, if I was not part of his succession plan, would I stay with him until I finish as commissioner, up to the point of resigning, up to the point of accepting my drink? These are things that people don’t know; I don’t like to talk about issues.”

Akpabio added, “It was Obong Attah who encouraged me to be the governor. Right from 2002, he wanted me to be his deputy and take over in 2007. This is the secret you people do not know.

“For me in Akwa Ibom, with all these elders that are present during the inauguration of this campaign organisation, the election in Akwa Ibom is over.”

Culled from Punch