Vote APC, Bernard Udoh tells Akwa Ibom people

BY EMMANUEL AKPAN

A three-term member and a former Chairman, Akwa Ibom Parliamentary Caucus of the Federal House of Representatives,  National Assembly, Rt. Hon. (Otuekong) Bernard Udoh has call on all Akwa Ibom people to vote en-mass for All Progressives Congress (APC) at the polls during the forthcoming general elections.

Otuekong Bernard Udoh made this known while charting with our reporter shortly after his formal defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the APC mega rally in Uyo last Saturday.

Otuerkong Udoh who represented the people of Ikot Abasi, Mkpat Enin and Eastern Obolo Federal Constituency at the Federal House of Representatives from 1999-2003, 2003-2007 and 2007-2011, said he was being sidelined by the PDP for too long and was seen as irrelevant by present government.  

According to him “There are season for everything, planting and harvesting. I have been a pioneer member of PDP from inception, and was even returned elected to the Federal House of Representatives on-opposed in 1999. For PDP believing, I have nothing to offer now is their greatest undoing. I am politicians who do not stand on the fence; I am a decisive person.  I have people who believe in my person and I can’t abandon them half way, having their trust and believe reposed in my person. So my decision to defect from PDP was not personal but collective. ie why I said that there are more APC in PDP than the eye can see. So for whoever thinks I was irrelevant in my federal constituency was only fooling the power that be.”

Further speaking, the former lawmaker maintained that there are winds of change blowing across the country and Akwa Ibom State which was a one party State cannot be left behind today by this blow change, adding that the greatest mistake of PDP was to allow the former Governor Obong (Arch) Victor Attah to be passive member of PDP, noting that this mistake of theirs has benefited APC by the event of today.

“The massive turnout of today’s event, unsolicited, self willing of support is consciously given, bearing in mind the events of the last eight years of governance in our state. Take a look at what happened in the last PDP governorship primaries in our state, it saddened me when Akwa Ibom people are view or seen as a third class citizen in our country. Twenty two governorship aspirants spent their energy, resources and value time campaigning for the success of PDP, at the end, their value time was misplaced as non issue and the PDP show no sign of regards for our aspirants. But a near case of similar magnitude took place in Lagos State with just one aspirant and was treated dully. So what does that implies? It shows that Akwa Ibom people have no stake in PDP based on the presentations of our government to the PDP at the National level, that all former government officials of PDP are expired politicians who has no value and is of inconsequential. You now can see that my defection from PDP to APC is basically collective.” he said.