TheCable

A faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom has endorsed John Akpanudoedehe, former national secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) caretaker committee, for the governorship election in the state.

Akpanudoedehe left the APC in June 2022, after which he secured the governorship ticket of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

While Augustine Ekanem heads the faction that endorsed the former APC secretary, Stephen Ntukekpo leads the faction controlled by Godswill Akpabio, a former minister of Niger Delta affairs.

In a statement on Thursday, Ekanem and Nkereuwem Enyongekere, secretary of the party, said the decision to endorse the NNPP candidate was arrived at after “exhaustive deliberations that lasted over five hours”.

They said Akpanudoedehe contributed to the development of APC in the state.

“As the secretary of the party between 2020 and 2022, Senator Udoedehe gave over 500 members of the party from Akwa Ibom state various party assignments from which they earned more than N2 billion cumulatively in allowance,” he said.

“No other APC leader in the state has empowered more people than this. In addition, Senator Udoedehe also helped in providing funding for the payment of rents and salaries of our state secretariat staffers.

“As senator between 1999 and 2003, Udoedehe worked with members of the national assembly and other leaders at that time to fight for the abrogation of the onshore-offshore oil dichotomy which is the reason Akwa Ibom state is a major oil revenue earner.

“None of the other candidates played such a monumental role during the onshore-offshore dichotomy struggle.

“Senator Udoedehe’s 10-point economic blueprint in our assessment is the most audacious, impactful and relevant to the lives of Akwa Ibom state. No wonder other candidates have tried to copy his ideas.

“In deciding to endorse Senator Udoedehe, we are mindful of the admonition of our president that this year’s elections are too important to be decided only on the basis of party loyalty.”