Youths query process of Udom’s successor nomination, says individual has no right to choose candidate
As resentment continues to trail the appointment of governor Udom Emmanuel’s preferred aspirant, Mr Umoh Eno, a coalition of youths group has condemned the act, stressing that the governor as an individual cannot carry out the responsibility of the party by himself alone.
In a joint press conference Sunday, addressed by the Speaker of the South-South Youth Assembly (SSYA), Comrade Victor Thompson, and leader Youth Democratic Movement (YDM), both condemned the governor’s action.
According to them, Emmanuel’s action of handpicking a successor before the party’s primary amounts to imposition and an appointment of a governor for the people.
They wondered why the governor would hide under the guise of ‘hearing from God’ to impose a governor on over 6 million indigenes of the state.
Thompson said, “It is no longer news that Akwa Ibom state governor, Mr. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel has in his birthday to exploit the element of godliness of our people and our affinity to God, came up with a deceptive vision that God has revealed a successor to him and has singlehandedly anointed and purportedly appointed his successor in the person of Pastor Umo Eno.
“It is very surprising that the governor is the only person in the state of over 6 million that can hear from God. The governor on the other hand has done a great disservice to the good and sensibility of the over 6 million Akwa Ibom people by singlehandedly trying to impose liability on Akwa Ibom political space for yet to be disclosed reasons.
“It is pertinent to mention that Pastor Umo Eno who has never been associated with nor interested in the political process in Akwa Ibom state, will suddenly become interested in the race and so appointed without consideration for others who have paid their dues, loyalty, resources, time, etc to nurse the administration until now.
“Akwa Ibom is bigger than the inordinate ambition of some characters having gone through a lot in the hands of the present political actor. Akwa Ibom needs a fresh, vibrant, purposeful and forthright leadership”.
