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 inner 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 get together, Otuekong Iniobong John, on this interview with DAILY POST, expressed optimism that the get together will come out stronger and take over the state. Excerpts!

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

You know that politics is a sport 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 just isn’t unusual to expertise all these in any political get together, however each affordable get together ought to from time to time arrange a equipment to reconcile aggrieved members again to the get together.

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 needs to be arrange to handle a few of the points rocking the get together within the state. I consider that the chairman of our get together, Obong Stephen Ntukekpo, is working in the direction of that.

We will be sure that anyone that’s reconcilable could be reconciled again; those that have the curiosity of the get together would certainly categorical their grievances and I’m assured that the problems that can be raised shall be addressed. I consider there’s gentle 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 could be the chief of the get together within the state, has that been addressed?

This is a really evident case, the chief of a political get together in a state is at all times the governor of that state; in a scenario the place the get together doesn’t have a governor, the best rating political workplace holder from that state within the get together 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 that has been a governor within the get together, I imply on the state degree, so it’s undisputed that no different particular person 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 concept 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 anyplace and to that extent one can safely conclude that the contraption known 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 get together being a believer in due course of and within the structure, we don’t consider 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 no less than just a few native authorities areas within the state?

Well, you understand that nationwide, native authorities administration is thought to be unique enterprise of the get together in energy in that state as a result of the state electoral fee is created to serve the curiosity of the get together in energy. So you’ll agree with me that it’s at all times in very uncommon circumstances that you will note an opposition get together defeating the get together in energy in an area authorities election that’s carried out by the electoral fee arrange to serve the curiosity of the get together 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 proven 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 in the end, they are going to be part of their grasp to our get together, APC.