A former Commissioner for Science and Technology in the State, Mr. Samuel Efanga has said that it is most likely that the All Progressives Party (APC) will take over the reins f power in Akwa Ibom State come 2019 when the next general election is expected to held.
Mr. Efanga made the prediction last week while reacting to the defection of Senator Nelson Effiong from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying that the Senator’s defection was well advised and that given the situation of things in the PDP at the national level, more cross – carpeting from the PDP will take place as 2019 approaches.
The former House of Representative aspirant, himself a decampee from the PDP and now a faithful of the APC said the threat by the PDP to recall the decamping Senator from the National Assembly or to make him lose his seat in the Senate through the instrumentality of the judiciary amounts to an empty threat,lacking substance and basis.
Mr. Efanga stated that the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria allows any member of the parliament or any political office holder for that matter whose party is in shambles, like the PDP currently is, to defect to any other party of his choice without losing his seat or office. He advised the PDP to go and read relevant sections of the constitution before going to embarrass themselves in court.
He said Akwa Ibom stands to benefit a lot should the state be governed by APC, explaining that being the opposition party, the governor of the state is not taken into confidence when important national decisions are taken. “That, to me is a big minus for the state and what is governance if the state you govern is cut off from the centre where the main stream politics is played?” he said.
On whether he was among those endorsing Obong Nsima Ekere, the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC) as Governor of Akwa Ibom State come 2019 , the cautious politician said the former Deputy Governor who has experience, character and human goodness would make a good governor any time any day, adding that he would be happy to cue behind the NDDC boss if he chooses to run for the office of governor in 2019. He said for now Obong Ekere is concentrating on his job as NDDC boss and that he would want to see the former No.2 citizen leave NDDC better than he met it.
Mr. Efanga used the occasion to shower encomiums on the NDDC boss for all the interventionist Projects that the Commission has carried out in Akwa Ibom since the assumption of duty by Obong Ekere adding that Akwa Ibom had never had it so good from NDDC. He however enjoined the commission to go beyond interventions and, if statutorily allowed, NDDC should go into building new schools, hospitals, universities even markets and so on.
On whether the public should expect any showing from him in 2019, Mr. Efanga said it was too early for him to say what the future holds for him in 2019, adding that even if he doesn’t contest any office in the next election, he would remain an active, loyal member of the APC supporting whoever would bear the flag of the part at whatever level.
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