The people of Oruk Anam in Akwa Ibom State have disassociated themselves from the purported actions and statements credited to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) BoT member, Chief Don Etiebet, in the media, claiming that there were no governorship/State House of Assembly elections in the state.

The elders and people of Oruk Anam, who stated this Friday, when they paid a courtesy visit on Akwa Ibom Governor, Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio at Government House, Uyo, discountenanced the statements.

The leader of the delegation, Udo Kirian Akpan, hinted that in Ikot Ibritam, home town of Chief Etiebet, there are three voting units – Ikot Ekpuk 1, 2, 3, in which Chief Etiebet voted for All Progressives Congress (APC) and lost in one of the units, while Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won in the remaining two polling units.

Akpan, who is also a Deputy Speaker in Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly condemned utterances of the PDP BoT Chieftain-turned APC chief using the mass media to assert that there was no election in the state whereas he participated effectively in the exercise in his local government area.

Akpan, therefore, warned the people to disregard such statements made by one of the prominent sons of the area, saying “We are not happy with Etiebet; he should understand that the times and game have changed.”

The deputy speaker, who commended Akpabio for providing level playing ground for all the political parties during the elections, pledged the readiness of people to key into the programmmes of the next administration in the State, calling on Governor Akpabio to appoint a Permanent Secretary and complete the on-going road project in the area.

Speaking for Oruk Anam elders, Sir Vitalis Unang debunked the purported media statements by Chief Etiebet and described him as a masquerade dancing in the market square.

Unang, who called on Etiebet to desist from tarnishing his image and that of the local government area through unwarranted and unguarded utterances concerning the elections he participated, pledged their support and loyalty to Akpabio administration.

While congratulating the Governor-elect, Deacon Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, he appealed to him as their in-law to carry them along as they voted massively for him during the governorship election.

Governor Akpabio thanked the people for the courtesy visit and urged Oruk Aam people to rise above Etiebet to enable the area to develop, noting: “A leader’s word must be his bond. At 60, a leader should not tell lies as some of our leaders are doing.”

He attributed the failure of President Goodluck Jonathan in the concluded Presidential and National Assemblies elections to treachery and betrayal among PDP members, describing as unfortunate and confusing situation where somebody would declare “I am founding member of PDP and BoT member. My APC went around local government areas and discovered there were no elections.”

Governor-elect Udom Emmanuel thanked the people of Oruk Anam for voting massively for him in the gubernatorial polls and promised to live up to his electioneering promises.

•Photo shows Udom Emmanuel.

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