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The Akwa Ibom State governor, Godswill
Akpabio, on Thursday, said that the first primary election, which he
won as the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party
(PDP) in the state was annulled by the national leadership of the party
because some aspirants were given late clearance to contest.

Mr Akpabio stated this while speaking with journalists at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja.

The ruling party had two weeks ago cancelled the state governorship primaries held on January 9 and ordered a re-run.

“The first primaries we did on the
9th. Some people complained that they were given late clearance. The
Primaries was on the 9th of January and some people were given late
clearance as late as 11pm on the 8th of January and when they came, the
panel did not allow them to take part so the party felt that to ensure
fairness and equity, there was need to annul the entire exercise and
order for a rerun and that was what they did and so we went for a rerun
on the 15th,” he said.

“ And you need to understand the fact
that the case that somebody talked about came up for a mention for the
first time on Monday this week. So there was no injunction; there was
nothing like that; it is just a rumour and people like to peddle
rumours in order to create anxiety in the public.” Mr Akpabio assured
that he is ready to reconcile with those who contested against him in
the primary election. According to him, he is already talking to some
of them so as to join him to move the state forward.

“My doors are open,” he said. “I don’t
want to call them opponents. I would like to call them my colleagues.
They are my fellow party men; the doors are open, I’ve already started
talking with them, I discuss with them on phone. I’ve met with one of
them for about two three hours so we are discussing. Everybody that
wants to join me in moving the state forward why not? We are to take
the state to the next level and it is better to do it in unity. I
believe strongly that everything will be alright in few days.” Mr
Akpabio said the PDP will win all the elections in Akwa Ibom State not
only because the party is popular but also because his administration
has performed in the last three years.

He said, “I reassure the Party that
Akwa-Ibom will return 100 percent for the party. If you look around the
entire country, it is important for you to come to Akwa-Ibom and see
what the PDP government has been able to do in the last three and half
years of my stewardship and so we are not going into election with
empty hands; we are going into election with a record of performance; a
record of very credible, feasible infrastructure for you to see.

When you come there the story is totally different and I think there
is a lot to be learnt from Akwa-Ibom State. So the PDP is safe in
Akwa-Ibom.” He concluded.