A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and governorship aspirant in Akwa Ibom State, Barr Asuqou Okpo has said the entrance of ex Senate Minority leader, Godswill Akpabio into the party would help to wrestle power from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
He has also faulted claims by the PDP that President Muhammadu Buhari’s fight against corruption had been selective.
Okpo told newsmen in Uyo, weekend, that the APC would require as many hands as possible in their quest to wrestle the mantle of leadership of the state from the ruling PDP, adding that Akpabio remained one of the strongest hands one could get in Akwa Ibom politics.
“Party is like a crusade that you need as many people as possible to make it a success. We need all good political hands to wrestle power from the PDP and Akpabio is a good hand in politics. We are happy to have him.
“His entrance to me will not disrupt the already existing unity and strength in the party but I believe that fairness and equity will sustain unity within the APC in Akwa Ibom.
“When decisions are taken fairly, all will be happy because we will negotiate and share responsibilities and positions will get to be shared to all who merit and deserve it and all will be happy and the party will grow stronger and more united.” He said.
Okpo maintained that his aspiration for the office of the governor of the state was to make a difference and bring the state into the mainstream of oil and gas business.
“It is a known fact that Akwa Ibom state is the number one oil producing state in the country. That is a common knowledge. But in terms of doing business in the oil and gas industry Akwa Ibom is the least. The youths have no reason to be unemployed in the state with the highest explorable oil and gas deposit.
“My desire is to take Akwa Ibom to the oil industry. I want the people of the state to participate in the business of oil and gas. I also want to change the political order where only people at the top have all the while govern without knowing the problem of the masses.
“More often, people who want to be the governor of the state come from the top so they find it difficult to make the difference in the standard of living of the masses. For the first time I am coming from the the bottom, among the masses.
“I know the feeling of the people. I know what it means not to do something for the class but for the people at the bottom. I live among the people, the people know me. I come from the bottom. I know their feelings. They are eager to have a government they are part of.” Okpo explained.
He lambasted those who claimed that Buhari had been biased in his anti-corruption war, adding that a former governor of Taraba state and a senator representing Plateau state who have so far been convicted on corruption related charges were all from the APC.
“These APC members should be supporting the president in his re-election bid but today they are in jail. So, can somebody now say that President Buhari’s fight against corruption is partial. APC was never in power. It was the PDP that was in government for over 16 years. They were the ones playing with our funds,” he said.
Okpo expressed confidence that the party would sweep the polls in the 2019 general elections in the state and at the national level.
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