Uyo – (NAN) A political organisation, the Akwa Ibom Democratic Project (AKDP), Friday rejected suggestions that the governorship of the state be zoned to the Southern Senatorial District in 2015.

Akwa Ibom, created in 1987, had been governed by people from the North-East zone until 2007 when Gov. Godswill Akpabio emerged from the North-West.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the people of Akwa Ibom South, who claim to have the oil and marine resources of the state, have not held the governorship of the state since its creation and therefore believe that the slot belongs to them in 2015.

Addressing newsmen in Uyo, the AKDP, led by Etubom Aloysius Edet, argued that the governorship position had never been reserved for any section of the state since its creation.

“For the 2015 election, no section or group of people should pontificate unreasonably because there is an established tradition of electoral contest in Akwa Ibom State,” Edet said, arguing that in the last general elections, Akpabio had rivals from other parts of the state.

“An incumbent was contesting for re-election as of right, but true to the tradition of throwing the PDP nomination process open many people joined the fray.

“Even from the first democratic experiment in 1991 after the creation of Akwa Ibom State, no section had been barred from contesting for the governorship of this state.

“It will be politically and historically incorrect to suggest that other senatorial districts should not present a candidate for the 2015 governorship election.

“Consequently, we appeal to our royal fathers, political elders, youths, women and politicians to please stop inciting one group against the other.”