•••demands issues-based campaigns by aspirants
By Chimezie Godfrey
Contrary to media report by some online media platforms that Senator Godswill Akpabio, has withdrawn from the presidential race, Akpabio on Wednesday resigned his office as a member of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), following a directive by President Muhamadu Buhari, to all aspiring members, just as he formally submitted his nomination form at the party secretariat in Abuja.
Speaking shortly after he submitted his nomination form to the Organising Secretary of the party, Suleiman Argungu, Senator Akpabio said,” I am a stickler for due process and rule of law. Before I contemplated aspiring for the office of the President, I knew I had to leave office before embarking on nationwide consultations. Doing so while in office, would mean spending public funds on personal aspirations. Now that I have formally left office, I will commence forthwith, my nationwide consultations”
Akpabio, who described the moment of his submission of the form as a watershed in the political history of the country said, ” this is a very important moment for the youths of this country and Nigerians. The event of today has buried the wild rumour that I had withdrawn from the race. This is the birth and movement for uncommon transformation of Nigeria and our prayer is, let God’swill be done.”
“I am in this office of our great party today, to formally present my duly completed form that will signal the birth of the continuity of the good things this administration has done. There is need for continuity, so that all the efforts of this administration will not be in vain,” he stressed.
The former Minister appealed to politicians, especially those aspiring for one office or the other to play the game according to rules, saying, “let me appeal to us all that we go about our campaigns with peace and love devoid of name calling, character assassination, falsehood and lies, inorder to achieve undue political mileage. Let us engage in clean campaigns for the unity of the country.”
In his brief remarks, after receiving the nomination form onbehalf of the National Working Committee (NWC), from Akpabio, the National Organising Secretary of the party, Suleiman Argungu, thanked the former Senate Minority Leader for his visit saying, ” I am extremely delighted to receive your duly completed forms. I wish you good luck and the best in your aspiration for office of the president of of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
Chieftains of the party and supporters of Akpabio’s presidential aspiration across the nation, who accompanied him to the party secretariat, spoke of the need for Nigerians to rally round his aspiration because, he is the only one among the lot, who is an Akwa Ibom man in body but Nigerian in spirit.
“He is the only one who has the interest of the youths, women and the aged at heart. We want him to replicate what he did in Akwa Ibom State when he was governor in Nigeria,” those were the words of Hon Mohammed Muritala, General Garba Audu rtd, and Barrister Sylvester Okonkwo at the party secretariat.
