INTERVIEW: We’re positioning APC to take Akwa Ibom – Iniobong John

The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Akwa Ibom State, through the years, has been enmeshed in inside disaster which has affected its probabilities of occupying the hilltop mansion and different elective workplaces within the state. However, the chairman, media and publicity of the occasion, Otuekong Iniobong John, on this interview with DAILY POST, expressed optimism that the occasion will come out stronger and take over the state. Excerpts!

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has suffered numerous setbacks in Akwa Ibom due to inside wranglings, are there steps being taken to handle the problems?

You know that politics is a recreation of negotiation, alignment and realignment. There is sure to be battle, misunderstanding, fights and disaster. But the underside line is the decision of the battle. It shouldn’t be unusual to expertise all these in any political occasion, however each affordable occasion ought to from time to time arrange a equipment to reconcile aggrieved members again to the occasion.

On our half, the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, throughout APC stakeholders’ assembly within the Uyo Senatorial district on Thursday final week directed {that a} reconciliation committee ought to be arrange to handle a number of the points rocking the occasion within the state. I imagine that the chairman of our occasion, Obong Stephen Ntukekpo, is working in the direction of that.

We will be certain that anyone that’s reconcilable can be reconciled again; those that have the curiosity of the occasion would absolutely specific their grievances and I’m assured that the problems that can be raised shall be addressed. I imagine there may be mild on the finish of the tunnel; APC in Akwa Ibom will come out higher, stronger on the finish of the train. We will take over the state.

One of the contending points is who can be the chief of the occasion within the state, has that been addressed?

This is a really obvious case, the chief of a political occasion in a state is at all times the governor of that state; in a scenario the place the occasion doesn’t have a governor, the best rating political workplace holder from that state within the occasion would be the chief. As of now, APC doesn’t have a governor in Akwa Ibom and the best rating political workplace holder is Senator Godswill Akpabio, who’s the quantity three citizen within the nation. Not simply that, Akpabio is the one one who has been a governor within the occasion, I imply on the state degree, so it’s undisputed that no different individual would come up now to battle that place with him.

Governor Umo Eno, on December 6, 2023, arrange a transition committee for native authorities administration, are you happy with that?

The thought of instituting a transition committee to run the affairs of native authorities councils is a breach of the structure. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended says that there shall be elected native authorities council to run the affairs of native authorities administration nationwide, so there was no provision for unelected native authorities officers wherever and to that extent one can safely conclude that the contraption referred to as native authorities transition committee is unusual to the structure after which it’s argued that something that’s in battle with the provisions of the structure is null and void to the extent of the inconsistency.

It is an aberration, a contraption and unknown to the structure, so our occasion being a believer in due course of and within the structure, we don’t imagine in that course of.

All issues being equal, AKISIEC following the directives of Gov Umo Eno would conduct LG elections by June, 2024, how ready is APC to seize at the very least just a few native authorities areas within the state?

Well, you understand that nationwide, native authorities administration is understood to be unique enterprise of the occasion in energy in that state as a result of the state electoral fee is created to serve the curiosity of the occasion in energy. So you’ll agree with me that it’s at all times in very uncommon circumstances that you will note an opposition occasion defeating the occasion in energy in an area authorities election that’s carried out by the electoral fee arrange to serve the curiosity of the occasion in energy.

The Young Progressives Party, YPP, over the weekend collapsed its construction into APC and two of YPP candidates can be having a rerun subsequent month; is APC working in the direction of supporting these candidates?

Well, the candidates involved- one from Ibiono Ibom State constituency and the Ikono/Ini federal constituency are nonetheless the candidates of the Young Progressives Party, YPP, they’ve not defected to APC but, so they’re squarely dealing with their elections and never a matter of APC. The undeniable fact that their chief defected to the APC doesn’t imply that each one of them are actually in APC; nevertheless, it’s believed that sooner or later, they may be a part of their grasp to our occasion, APC.