Stakeholders in Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District, South-South Nigeria, have unanimously agreed to nominate and elect Chief Godswill Akpabio as their Senator at the end of his tenure of office as the State Governor on May 29, 2015.

This represents a further blow to the incumbent, Senator Alloysius Etok, who recently risked being recalled after raising what turned out to be a false alarm about Akpabio’s purported plan to kill him so as to stop his re-election bid. The ruling national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had to come to Etok’s rescue by brokering peace.

News Express learnt that the decision to endorse Chief Akpabio was taken on Sunday (May 26) at a meeting of stakeholders, political class and elders of the 10 local government areas of Akwa Ibom North West convened by Senator Emmanuel Ibokessien and held at Ritman College, Ikot Ekpene.

The decision was conveyed to Chief Akpabio yesterday during a solidarity visit to the Governor’s Lodge, Uyo. Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Senator Ibokessien said: “That the Senatorial District is completely satisfied with the leadership and performance of our son, His Excellency, Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, in the last six years which are manifest and evident in his uncommon infrastructural, human capital and socio-economic developmental strides andhereby passes a vote of absolute confidenceon him.”

The stakeholders congratulated Akpabio on his recent emergence as a member of Board of Trustees (BOT), PDP National caucus and a consensus pioneer Chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum. They said they have resolved to work with himand Akwa Ibom people on the choice of his successor in 2015.

Responding, Governor Akpabio accepted the resolution, describing the endorsement as a further call to represent his people at the higher level. He pledged that as a Senator, he would strive to correct some injustices meted to the state at the federal level.

•Photo: Governor Akpabio.