For the umpteenth time, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State and the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, Chief Godswill Akpabio, has stated that he has no interest in contesting the presidential election in 2015, rather he would only vie for the senatorial seat of his state as requested and endorsed by his people.

Akpabio made further clarification on the purported presidential ambition when in the early hours of today, his posters as running mate to Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema of Katsina State flooded some strategic areas of Lagos such as the Awolowo Road, Airport Road and Medical Road – all in Ikeja.

A statement issued by the Special Assistant to the Akwa Ibom State Governor on Media, Lagos, Mr. Jackson Udom, said that the vigilante groups in the affected areas disclosed that those behind the posters had come around 2 a.m. with an Osun State-marked Toyota Sienna space bus, claiming to have been sent by one “Hounourable” to paste the posters.

He said that the posters had also been sighted around Sagamu, with plans said to be in the offing to spread them to other parts of the South-West and the entire country. The posters had first surfaced last week in Abuja, the Nigerian capital.

“We wish to completely dissociate His Excellency, Chief Akpabio from the printing and circulation of these posters which are clearly the handiwork of political jobbers who are bent on causing undue tension in the polity with their political mischief,” Udom said, adding:

“For the avoidance of doubt, Chief Akpabio is not interested in the Presidency in 2015 and has not mandated anybody to campaign for him. His focus is on the completion of his Uncommon Transformation agenda in Akwa Ibom State. In fact, he has made it very clear that based on the pressure by the good people of Akwa Ibom North West (Ikot Ekpene) Senatorial District, he wishes to represent them at the Senate in 2015.

“We urge the general public to completely ignore this politically-engineered mischief and continue to support the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in the arduous task of transforming this nation; Nigeria.”

•Photo shows Governor Akpabio.

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