Has Akwa Ibom APC governorship candidate withdrawn from race?

The Chairman, Information and Strategic Communication Committee and Spokesman of Akwa Ibom State APC Campaign Council, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh has said that the party’s governorship candidate, Mr. Nsima Ekere has not withdrawn from the gubernatorial race which would be held on March 9, 2019.

Eyiboh stated this at the wake of speculations by some quarters that Nsima Ekere has backed out of the contest.

In a press statement sent to journalists in Uyo on Thursday, Ekere’s campaign spokesperson described such rumour as not only being malicious but a ploy by the PDP to avert their impending defeat in the upcoming governorship election in the state.

According to the statement, “Our attention has been drawn to a petty drivel by agents of the People’s Democratic Party and its governorship candidate, Deacon Udom Emmanuel, currently making the rounds in the social media that suggests that the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the March 9, 2019, Obong Nsima Ekere, has withdrawn from the governorship race.

“The write up, which does not qualify as a news story and also does not qualify as a press statement, is said to have been signed by Hon Eseme Eyiboh, the Spokesman of the APC Campaign Council, is nothing more than the usual badly cooked up mendacious stories, which unfortunately has become the hallmark of the Udom administration and his party the PDP in the state.

“To begin with, the statement designated the APC Spokesman as the ‘Director of media and communication (Official Spokeman (sic)) Akwa Ibom APC Campaign Directorate, Mandate Campaign Office, Uyo.’

“The amateur writer gave out his identity by referring to APC Campaign office as ‘Mandate Campaign office’, which is the campaign platform of Udom Emmanuel.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Obong Nsima Ekere has not withdrawn from the governorship race. He has no reason to do so. The propaganda is coming out of a fear-stricken side, which already reckons with the certainty of the defeat staring them in the face.

“Obong Nsima Ekere has continued to enjoy the overwhelming support and endorsement of the generality of the people of the state.

“We urge all APC members and our teeming supporters to ignore such propaganda and focus on their resolve to elect Obong Nsima Ekere as the next governor of Akwa Ibom State.

“Truly Akwa Ibom deserves the best; truly Akwa Ibom deserves Obong Nsima Ekere as governor.”