PDP chieftain speaks on photo of him kneeling for APC governorship candidate

A chief of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State, Eric Akpanhas reacted to the viral photo of him kneeling Akanimo Udofiadistrict governor candidate All Progressive Congress (APC) in the country.

Mr. Udofia, comes from Nsit Ibom Regional Government where Mr. Akpan is serving his second term as chairman of the council and is also doubling as the PDP House of Assembly candidate for the area in the Saturday election.

Before defecting to the APC, where he won the party’s governorship ticket, Mr. Udofia was a member of the PDP in the state.

It was alleged that Mr. Akpan had collapsed his structure for Mr. Udofia before the election after the photo went viral on the internet, an allegation the PDP leader has dismissed as “false.”

Argument

In a statement on Tuesday, Mr. Akpan’s campaign council confirmed that the viral photo was of the PDP leader, but the statement was taken during the local government election campaign when Mr. Akpan asked Mr. Udofia for his second term aspiration – Mr. Udofia was a member of the then PDP.

Akwa Ibom State held its last council election in October 2020 while council officers were sworn in in December of the same year.

The campaign council described the House of Assembly candidate as a political “weight” whose loyalty to the ruling PDP “cannot be questioned.”

In addition, it said that Mr. Akpan has not signed an agreement with the APC governorship candidate.

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The campaign described online reports of the photo as “false, malicious and misleading”.

“Mr. Akpan has shown strength and capacity in the political scene,” the statement said.

“This is Rt. Hon. Eric Akpan is still the PDP candidate for Nsit Ibom State Constituency and with more acceptance based on his track record he will win together with Pastor Umo Eno at the polls.