The Next Governor must Come from Eket - Gov. Akpabio

Governor Godswill Akpabio

Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State on Thursday announced that the next Governor of the state must come from Eket Senatorial District.

Speaking during a solemn assembly organized by the Akwa Ibom state government, the Governor told Clerics that any prayer by men of God that is contrary to his position, will not be answered by God and that any prophecy that is contrary to his stand on the 2015 gubernatorial election in Akwa Ibom is a false prophecy and should be disregarded, because God is a God of justice and justice and equity who has demanded that the governorship slot should be zoned to the senatorial district.

Governor Akpabio further said that though candidates from other senatorial districts are allowed to contest, someone from Eket would emerge as the next governor.

Akwa Ibom: Akpabio makes case for zoning of governor to Eket in 2015

Akwa Ibom people have been charged to re-enact the bond of unity propagated by Ibibio State Union, a socio-cultural group formed in 1928 that awarded oversea's scholarships to the different tribes in the State.

Governor Akpabio who said this at the one-day Solemn Assembly organised by the State Government and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Akwa Ibom Chapter to usher in 2014 noted “When you hear about Hausa, they have other tribes like Fulani, Tiv, Kanuri and others that have agreed to come under one name called Hausa. It is the same thing with Yorubas. Our fathers agreed to come together under Ibibio State Union.

According to him, "When they talked about Akwa Ibom in those days, they would say Ibibios and they agreed to be under Ibibio State Union and when they were sponsoring people outside Nigeria, they didn’t pick from one area only,  even my uncle who was from Ikot Ekpene  was also a beneficiary”

Akpabio enjoined all to propagate justice, and upholds only those tenets and practices that would engender peace, harmony and progress in the State, pointing out “We can regard ourselves as Ibibios but the political division of Senatorial Districts has divided the Akwa Ibom of Ibibios into three. So we had the Ibibios from Uyo in Akpan Isemin as Governor. We had the Ibibios from Uyo in Obong Victor Attah as Governor. Now we have the Ibibios from Ikot Ekpene in Godswill Akpabio. We should also have the Ibibios of Eket as Governor otherwise ask ourselves what then is justice”.

He observed "These revving 'twin engines' are the State and the Church. When these engines rev, in a day of re-consecration and re-dedication such as this, it means that God is bearing us on the wings of the Eagle to new pinnacles of success. He promised that our path shall shine brighter and brighter and we, therefore, expect more this year than He blessed us with last year.

"In the year 2007, we departed from the Pharaoh’s of ethnicity, divisiveness and tribalism. We confirmed the death of these three monsters in 2011. But in 2013, our people looked back and saw the pharaoh’s of ethnicity, divisiveness and tribalism bearing down on us. They came in mischievous text messages, incendiary advertorials, evil propaganda etc. which cost their sponsors over N4 million daily. They have gathered to stop us from crossing the Red and defining Year of 2015. They forget God’s promise that “they shall surely gather but not by Me (God) and whosoever shall gather together against you shall fall for your ask.

"On that occasion, Moses declared to the terrified children of Israel, 'Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD…for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever'. I want to say to all Akwa Ibom people, like Moses did, fear not; stand still in prayer, for this ethnic bigots you see today, you shall not see them again for ever. They would be consigned to the dustbin of irrelevance, and would disappear from our political horizon forever.

"How will God do it? I don’t know. But I know that He who brought us this far, is faithful to complete His work in us. I know that falsehood may thrive for a while, but truth shall prevail forever. I know that evil men may rave and rant, but righteousness will have its way. I know that God will open the gate of 2015 for us and we will cross over as a people, but the armies of Pharaoh’s will perish in the political waters of that miracle year.

"Brethren, I had been the subject of all kinds of attacks by these Pharaoh’s. In their desperation, they have attacked my person, my family, and my friends. Yet none of them has faulted my performance as a servant of God’s people this last six and a half years. They have come up with all kinds of comparisons, because they cannot fault the facts. They claim that we talk too much about what we have done as if this were a fault. The reason we talk a lot about what we have done is because we are passionate about them. Even our Lord Jesus talked a lot about what He did for us because. He was passionate about us. Let us blow our trumpet, and let them blow their own trumpets – if they have. Should we stop blowing our trumpets because they have no trumpets?

"But we are not discouraged. We see a great multitude standing by us, ready to cross the “Red Year of 2015.” We had pointed out that based on the rotational principle agreed upon in the State, there ought to be a power shift to Eket Senatorial District in 2015. Uyo Senatorial District has governed our state through three of its sons (one military and two civilian). By God’s grace and your kind mandate, I have been serving the State as someone from Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District for about six and half years of eight-year tenure now. So let us give Eket Senatorial District a sense of belonging and shift power to them.

"Let the Pharaoh’s tell us whether Eket Senatorial District does not have capable, intelligent and educated men and women suitable to govern our State? Let them say whether Eket Senatorial District is not worthy or fit to govern Akwa Ibom? Let them say whether Eket Senatorial District is composed of slaves and outcasts? Let them say what they have against Eket Senatorial District? If Eket Senatorial District is as qualified to produce a governor as any of the other two senatorial districts, why can they not produce a governor for our State? One man’s ambition should not hang like a sword of Damocles over our State.

"We will not discourage anyone from running for office in exercise of his constitutional rights. But we must ensure that justice is done to Eket Senatorial District. Not only because justice delayed is justice denied, but also because non-cooperation with evil is as much an obligation as cooperation with good. Let us not cooperate with evil.

"When Joshua finished his work, he assembled the children of Israel for a solemn assembly and asked them “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood… but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD”.

On the solemn assembly, Akpabio stated,  “We come together today, spurred by three key virtues - faith in God; love for our community; and hope in the uncommon transformation of our State. For the uncommon transformation, we tell Him thank you. For the love of our community, we render supplication that He who brought us this far should not abandon us. For our faith in Him we declare that it is well with our State.

"I want to ask the good people of Akwa Ibom State to choose this day which spirit they would serve in 2015. Whether the spirit of tribalism, ethnicity and divisiveness, or the Spirit of God, love and brotherhood. Choose whether you will continue to serve the Almighty God, or to serve your self-interests. Choose whether you will continue in the paths of justice and truth or trudge in the malicious path of ethnicity and malice. But be assured that as for my house, and me, we will continue to serve the Lord God Almighty. We will continue to serve Akwa Ibom State. We will continue to toe the paths of truths and justice", the Governor added.

Earlier, the Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Akwa Ibom Chapter, Bishop Cletus Bassey preaching on the theme "Faithfulness of God" urged Akwa Ibom to live in love and unity with one another, saying God's faithfulness has kept the people together.