Udom Ekpoudom, a senatorial candidate for Akwa Ibom North-West under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and a former Deputy Inspector General of Police, stated that his people would chase him out if he attempted to stand in for Senator Godswill Akpabio in the 2023 election.
Goldennewsng reports that Ekpoudom spoke in his office on Friday after it was suggested that he had given in to pressure from some elders to stand in for Senator Akpabio, whom he had defeated at the Appeal Court, where he had been confirmed as the party’s legitimate senatorial candidate.
He expressed optimism that he would also win Akpabio at the Supreme Court while debunking the ridiculous rumor.
The candidate said that giving up would betray his people, who had never had a seat in the National Assembly for 16 years. He also said that his goal is for the people, not for himself.
He claimed that: It is laughable to claim that I resigned for any reason; Some people have been asking me to step down—not today nor tomorrow—but I’ve been saying no and will continue to do so because this is the people’s project, not mine. I do not wish to be driven out of the Abak Federal Constituency.
I don’t want to leave my people behind. You can even imagine that this region of Akwa Ibom has not produced a senator in 16 years. I consider those who are requesting my resignation to be enemies of the Abak federal constituency.
He went on to say: I won’t take the position of head of state that they want to offer me; My only desire is to acquire what belongs to us. The entire senatorial district and federal constituency would be impacted if Abak loses right now.
Ekpoudom also said that Senator Akpabio is a desperate politician who has ignored the advice of important stakeholders, like Don Etiebet, who told him not to run, and that he has turned Abak-5 people against him.
He stated: Because of how desperate my brother is, he is free to act however he pleases. Don Etiebet is someone we respect in Akwa Ibom; if someone like that talked to him and he didn’t hear, who will talk to him and he will hear? If I were him, I wouldn’t go because he has turned himself into the enemy of the Abak people, and that’s not the best thing.