By Dele Ade
The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator John Udoedehe, has declared himself as the authentic governorship candidate for the party in Akwa Ibom State come 2023.
Speaking during a press conference to mark his 57th birthday on Monday in Uyo, Udoedehe warned members of the party to stop fighting among themselves over 2023 governorship ticket.
He said he remains the authentic candidate for the next election, adding that those who fought him before he defected to the party in the state have regrouped again to fight over the party’s ticket in 2023.
He castigated the youths for plans to outsmart the elders by floating a juvenile party against them in 2023, saying such moves were counter productive.
He said the party has undertaken a rebuilding process and would get its axe right for the 2023 elections, saying the reconciliation was towards entrenching best practices for effective opposition.
“When I led opposition in Akwa Ibom State many years ago, those who were fighting me were in PDP. I told them that change would take over the country and they never believed. Now all those who were fighting me are now in APC and they have perfected their plans to fight me again even in APC that they hated.
“When I became the Chairman of Uyo local government at age of 33, I never stopped my elders. As a Senator, I was the Chairman Senate Committee on Privatisation, a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria without smiting my elders. Why should the youths plan to bench their elders now,” he said.
The former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) advised the people of the state not to expect any federal presence in terms of infrastructure.
He said President Muhammadu Buhari never had winning votes from the state and encouraged them to vote for the party in 2023 to attract development to the state.
Akpanudoedehe who is also a member of Board of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), charged Journalists to always investigate all facts to establish the truth about public officers instead of falsehood, saying it reduces the personalities involved to ridicule.
“Please always cross check facts through investigative reporting and avoid being used by politicians to undermine some person’s integrity,” he said.