The 2023 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State, Obong Akanimo Udofia, has said that he would grant full autonomy to local government administration if elected the Governor of the state in the upcoming gubernatorial election.

He made the pledge in Uyo at the weekend while speaking during the inauguration of the Akan Udofia/Victor Antai Governorship Campaign Council. He identified the Local Government as centre for development which should be made viable for accelerated development of the rural areas.

The Governorship candidate who anchored his campaign on the theme of “shared prosperity” said he was hoping to embark on a campaign with a mission to bring about change and create a brighter future for all Akwa Ibom people.

According to Udofia, “It is a well-known fact that while our economy has grown significantly, over the past decades, the benefits of this growth have not been shared equally. Far too many are being left behind, and the gap between the rich and the poor is growing wider.

“To bring about shared prosperity, we will take bold and innovative steps to address the challenges that our people face. We need to creatively invest in education, infrastructure and job creation, so that everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We need to ensure that everyone has access to quality healthcare, and that we provide support to those who are struggling to make ends meet.

“Even the rich are being decimated by poor governance in Akwa Ibom. This is unacceptable, and it is our responsibility to do something about it. The journey ahead of us will not be easy but I am confident that with your hard work and dedication, we can succeed,” he charged members of the Campaign Council.

Obong Akan Udofia also used the opportunity to inform the people that the Presidential candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, meant well for Akwa Ibom State and that was why he had promised to deliver a deep seaport to the State if elected the President and urged the people to ignore those who said the APC candidate had insulted the people.

The State Chairman of the APC, Obong Steve Ntokekpo, while inaugurating the Campaign Council, thanked party members in the State for the massive turn out during the Presidential rally and charged the people not to be intimidated by anybody as the party was in charge of the Federal Government and would do everything to protect her members.

The Director General of the Campaign and a former Commissioner for Works in the state, Mr Don Etim, who responded on behalf of members of the Campaign Council, charged the members to be proud of their candidate as he remained untainted of any scandal nor would he be anybody’s stooge.

He thanked the members for their commitment and resilience and said they would do all within their powers to install an APC administration in the state.