.. It’s fake news – Pub. Secretary

By Chioma Onuegbu, Uyo

SOME stakeholders of the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, Akwa Ibom State chapter, have decided to dump its party governorship candidate, Senator John Akpanudoedehe for the candidate of Young Progressives Party, YPP, senator Bassey Akpan.

The state Secretary of NNPP, , Elder Basil Ekpo, who made this known in a statement yesterday explained that their decision to a abandon the party’s guber candidate,
followed his alleged refusal to recognise and also align with the structure of the party.

Ekpo in the statement made available to newsmen yesterday evening in Uyo stressed that Senator Akpanudoedehe has rejected every move to work together with the existing party structure.

His words: “He (Akpanudoedehe) blackmails officers of the party and encourage his men to impersonate NNPP officials on radio, Newspapers etc, even when these men are card carrying members of the APC and other political parties.

“We want to inform Akwa Ibom people that after getting mandate from the party, he only re-surfaced after two months or thereabout in a meeting we had with chapter Chairmen and other stakeholders of the party.

“At the meeting, he bluntly told us that he cannot abandon his support group that had been with him since 2009 and then work with us that he barely know, and that he cannot trust us. He told us vividly that we lacked the capacity to win elections, and that his election success in 2023 rest solely on shoulders of his support group.

“Several petitions and attempts were made by spirited stakeholders both at the State and National level of the party to let him see the need to work with the party that gave him political life-line, but he still remain defiant up to this moment”

The NNPP Scribe stressed that due
to the irreconcilable differences, “we therefore reject Akpanudoedehe as our Governorship candidate and pitch our tent and support with the Governorship candidate of YPP, Senator Bassey Albert Akpan”

But reacting swiftly in a statement made available to newsmen the State Publicity Secretary of NNPP, and Spokesman of Senator Akpanudoedehe Governorship Campaign Organisation, Mr. Solomon Johnny urged the public to disregard such fake news.

“The NNPP, Akwa Ibom State Chapter, has not disowned her governorship candidate, Distinguished Senator John Akpanudoedehe. Disregard any news to the contrary.

” A certain candidate who has been convicted and jailed of corruption charges preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) is trying to cause a stir and distract the voting masses few days to the poll.

“At this level, we have defeated such antics and media propaganda. We can assure that our party is firmly behind Senator John Akpanudoedehe and together with the votes of Akwa Ibomites, he will be coasting to victory on Saturday as governor elect of Akwa Ibom State”, Johnny asserted.