By Kenneth Ehigator
The former National Chairman of Progressive People Alliance, PPA, Mr. Larry Esin, has emerged as the governorship candidate of Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, in Akwa Ibom State.

Announcing the result of a state wide congress/primaries in all the 31 local government areas of Akwa Ibom at the state secretariat of the party in Uyo, weekend, Mr. Eyam  Francis, the CPC Akwa Ibom Congress Committee chairman, in the presence of Chief Effiong Obotnya, said that Esin scored a total number of 2,211 votes to emerge as the governorship candidate of the party.

With his emergence, Esin who hails from Oron joined the top contenders from other parties and clans such as the incumbent Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Godswill Akpabio, from Annang and Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Akpan Udoedeghe from Ibibio clan in a tripod contest for the race to occupy the Hilltop Mansion Government House in May 2011.

Commenting on the emergence of Esin, the chairman of CPC in Akwa Ibom, Chief Obotnya, said they found in Esin a formidable candidate with pedigree and antecedent to win the general elections in April, having contested the position in 2007 in PDP, adding that “for Esin to come third in that race among 11 aspirants behind incumbent Akpabio and Bob Ekarika, the son–in-law of then Governor Obong Victor Attah, says a lot about his wide acceptability in the state.”