Don’t attack and insult leaders, Governor Eno charges party members

Akwa Ibom State governor, Pastor Umo Eno has appealed to members of the opposition parties who defected to the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in the state not to attack and insult leaders of the country.

Eno who spoke while receiving the detectors numbering over 37,000 on Friday at the Ibom Hall Grounds, Uyo, stressed that the PDP he runs is the type that supports and respects constituted authority.

He explained that his decision to continue to support and collaborate with the leadership at the center does not in any way imply that he was no longer in PDP.

His words, “A lot of people have asked repeatedly: Are you in PDP? Yes! I am in PDP, but my PDP does not insults people. So I want to beg you as you come back, one of the things you must drop is let’s not attack leaders.

“From the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we will and must show him support and respect. That is the PDP I run. We don’t attack leadership because what goes around comes around.

“If I have a suggestion, I have access to the President, we will go and give our suggestions. We will support our leaders, we will not fight them. I am a pastor trained to respect people.

“We must continue to show that all-important character of humility, of compassion and of respect to constituted authority. That, I shall continue to do. My administration will continue to collaborate with the Centre so that we can bring dividends of democracy to Akwa Ibom.

“I will not fight the Centre, nobody will fight the Centre, that is the point. And now that you are coming back, that is what we will maintain. We will give peace a chance. The last administration I took over from was a peaceful administration.

“Without peace, there can be no progress. So please for those of you that were abusing us, don’t bring that spirit of abuse and begin to abuse people in authority. Please drop that spirit and let’s work together.

“We must show respect, decency and loyalty. That’s why, everything that the President had promised us, God will touch his heart and he will give it to us. You don’t abuse somebody and then turn round and want to go and benefit from the person”

The governor who reiterated that his administration would continue to support and collaborate with the government at the center, however, assured that he remains a PDP leader.

He stressed that the Akwa Ibom State is a stronghold of the PDP saying, “Don’t let anybody deceive you. Don’t attend any illegal meetings. If they call you in the night and say come to this place, someone wants to see you, that is a lie, don’t go”

Continuing Eno reassured that all the programmes his administration has put in place so far would impact on every citizen of the state especially those living in the rural areas.

“We are giving out free food through palliatives. Also we are creating jobs and ensuring that our young ones have something to do. You voted for good governance and I am sacrificing everything to ensure that we do good to our people.”

Among those stakeholders of the opposition who defected to the PDP were a former House of Representatives Member, for Ukanafun Federal Constituency, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Ukoette, former State APC Publiicty Secretary, Nkereuwem Enyongekere, former Commissioner for Science and Technology, Hon. Samuel Effanga, a former Youth Leader of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) Ubong Edem, former Transition Chairman of Ukanafun LGA, Barr.Abasiono Udonfuk, Hon. Mabel Udongwo, former member who represented Oruk Anam in the State House of Assembly.

Majority defected from the main and visible opposition parties in the state namely, the All Progressives Congress (APC),Young Progressives Party (YPP) New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP), and the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

While receiving the detectors, the State Chairman of PDP Elder Aniekan Akpan had welcomed the defectors to the party and enjoined them to work for the continous growth and expansion of the party.

The Political Adviser to the governor, Prince Godwin Ntukudeh disclosed that so far successfully documented 37, 874 new members from the opposition to the PDP.