Governor of Akwa Ibom state and a presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Udom Emmanuel said contrary to media reports making the rounds, he never block the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar from seeing the party’s delegates in the state.
The governor in a statement by the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Ini Ememobong, Sunday described as false that he blocked another Presidential aspirant, Atiku from seeing the delegates.
Continuing, the statement partly read “The news item with the above heading surfaced on the media space, alleging that Gov. Udom Emmanuel barred Alhaji Atiku Abubakar from meeting with delegates from Akwa Ibom State.
“It also went on to make a lot of spurious allegations, laced with foul and profane language.
“Nothing can be farther from the truth as this. The said news is totally incompatible with the known accommodating disposition of Gov. Emmanuel
“The truth is that the Governor, who has been in communication and contact with all other Presidential Aspirants (Atiku Abubakar inclusive), was informed that the former Vice President will be visiting on Monday, 16th May 2022 to meet with delegates and thereafter see him (Gov. Emmanuel) by 4 pm, a proposal that was unhesitatingly accepted.
“It is therefore pure mischief for anyone to insinuate that the Governor is preventing Alhaji Abubakar from seeing delegates.
“Other Presidential Aspirants have visited the party in Akwa Ibom without a hitch, so why would Atiku’s be different?
“In the light of current circumstances surrounding Atiku’s media posture, especially online, we will like to discard the news item as not coming from him or his media handlers.
“We also want to believe that this spurious statement does not have the authorization of the Presidential Aspirant himself, especially since the allegation is not personally signed off and is not posted on any of his verified social media accounts”.
The governor also urged the entire public to discountenance the fake news and treat it as an act of mischief of the highest order.
According to the statement, the state PDP delegates and team are waiting to receive the aspirant on the agreed date and time.
Also, the spokesperson for the Udom Emmanuel Presidential Campaign Council, Bola Bolawole, described Gov. Emmanuel as an apostle of politics without bitterness.
“Their type may not be many anymore and their tribe may be fast diminishing but the personal choice made by Emmanuel is to be a man of peace and to address issues and not attack personalities, it stated.
It added that “Check his antecedents. Emmanuel focuses on issues. Critical issues like the economy, which is the fulcrum of presidential contests in the advanced democracies, are what Emmanuel is bothered about, not personal attacks.”
2023: Ubom denies blocking Atiku from seeing Akwa Ibom PDP delegates
