The Battle is between freedom and slavery - Umana Umana

Umana

Protocols,
This is for me a special moment of great delight, to stand before you, my good people of our beloved state, and say thank you God Almighty for the historic victory that your grace has made possible in our governorship election petition. It is also a special moment that has afforded me the opportunity to say thank you as well to the great people of Akwa Abasi Ibom State. The victories at both the Tribunal and the Court of Appeal, respectively on 21 October 2015 and 18 December 2015, were not just for me as a person. They were victories for the people of Akwa Ibom State.

As a people and a state you have proven to be unconquerable; you have shown that no weapon or amount of money can break you spirit or bend your resolve. May God bless you all.
My special appreciation goes to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, for his able leadership that is stabilising the polity, and to the Judiciary for upholding the truth and confirming the verdict of international election monitors, including the US Government, the European Union and the African Union, all of who held unanimously in their reports last year that there were no elections in Akwa Ibom State.
I pay tribute to our great Party, the All Progressives Congress (APC)—under the able leadership of His Excellency, John Odigie-Oyegun—which has stood firm and unbowed through all the challenges of our political odyssey. I equally salute the courage of our numerous members who have braved all the odds and faced the bullets because they prefer freedom to slavery.
I am grateful to all my supporters across the political divides. Your support has given true meaning to our victory. The true meaning of the judgments of the courts is that the ongoing battle for Akwa Ibom State is not about individuals.
The battle is between freedom and slavery. As you can see with the event of today, most of Akwa Ibom has chosen freedom and walked away from slavery, our people have opted for freedom and rejected enslavement to godfatherism. I thank you all for insisting on the freedom to decide who your governor is.
APC represents that quest for freedom, inclusion and openness. The historic task of successful resistance to impunity and arbitrary use of our state resources cannot be complete until you have installed an APC government in the state.
This therefore means that though we have scored important victories along the way, the war is not yet won. There is a lot of work ahead of us.
Before I go further, I want to assure you that the Leadership of your great Party is aware of the diabolical plans by agents of the PDP to start another round of violence in the state, and the security agencies in the country have been fully alerted to the PDP evil plans. The era of impunity is gone for good. Under the current dispensation of law and order, whoever acts outside the law must be made to account for their actions.
Let me emphasize what I have implied all along in this short speech. The battle for Akwa Ibom State is the battle for freedom to return the state to God and to responsible leadership that is God-fearing, humble and accountable to the people and to God.
That is the kind of leadership an APC government will offer the people of the state through policies and programmes that are people-oriented so that we can create jobs and bring an end to mass hunger in the midst of plenty.
Akwa Ibom people deserve the best in their God-given land.
Once again, I thank you all, and wish you a safe journey back
home and a happy weekend.
Long live APC!
Long live Akwa Ibom State!!
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!

Signed:
Umana Okon Umana
The APC Governorship Candidate
Akwa Ibom State

Being An address presented by Mr Umana Okon Umana, Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Akwa Ibom State, on the occasion of his Thanksgiving Service and Reception for him in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, by his Party, political associates and supporters, following his legal victory in the state’s governorship election dispute at the Court of Appeal