EKET FED. HOUSE ELECTION: EYIBOH EMERGES SOLE CANDIDATE

The Evangelist edition, February 15, 2023. By Akwaowo Akwaowo

Just few days to the 2023 General Elections, Candidates of various Political Parties for the Federal House of Assembly Elections in Eket Federal Constituency of Akwa Ibom State have voluntary adopted the candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC Honourable Eseme Eyiboh as their consensus candidate.

The adoption of Honourable Eyiboh as best hand for the federal house job as representative of the Constituency which consist of Eket, Esit Eket, Onna, and Ibeno Local Government Areas was reached by the Candidates of various political parties registered for the election at a meeting held in Eket.

The Candidates in a release signed by Three of them, Mr. Gabriel M. Bassey of Action Democratic Party, ADP, Evang Emmanuel J. Itiat of Social Democratic Party, SDP and Iniokim Etuk of New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP stated that their decision to jettison their aspirations for Eyiboh was voluntarily reached but after due consultation with the people.

“We, … having consulted widely with our teeming supporters, Youths, Women and Elders in the Federal Constituency, have unanimously decided to voluntarily sacrifice our interest to contest for the position of the House of Representatives election coming up on the 25th February 2023”.

Emphasizing that the interest of the people of Eket Federal Constituency was paramount and so priced above every individual’s, the Candidates stated that they adopted Eyiboh to enhance effective representations which is guaranteed following his robust legislative pedigree as a former member of the house of assembly.

“Our positions is informed by the collective desire of the Federal Constituency to send Hon Eseme Eyiboh who has a robust legislative pedigree back to the National Assembly as a ranking member and to enhance effective representation of the Federal Constituency.”

They appealed to their “supporters and the generality of the electorate in the Federal Constituency to support Honourable Eseme Eyiboh of the All Progressive Congress, APC” to enable him to succeed, for the good of the people and the betterment of the Constituency.
The decision of the Candidates to collapse their structures for Honourable Eseme Eyiboh has won the support of some stakeholders of Eket Federal Constituency.

Some spoken to said the decision was necessary for the needed meaningful growth of the area. They hold that Eseme is a class apart and that no candidate on any party platform for the Federal Seat deserves a chance where Eseme is involved because of his interest for the people.

Among our respondents is Mr Umoudi Essien, a youth Activist in Eket who, describing Eseme Eyiboh as a community development enthusiast with strong insight on sustainable development targets, commended the Candidates for the synergy stressing that the tenth National Assembly requires the likes of Eyiboh with his world of experience given the changing National Geo-political dynamics and the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA which he noted is of great interest to the Eket people.

Expressing confidence that sending the APC candidate to the Federal house would mean sending an experience Legislator who will sit atop every challenging situation amidst his legislative experience, Mr Essien called on the people of Eket, ONNA, Esit Eket and Ibeno Local Government Areas constituting the Federal Constituency to look beyond party politics and vote Eyiboh, a worthy personality, as the go to the polls on Saturday February 25, to elect the President, Senators and House of Representatives Members.
In his view, Sir Jack Etteh, a frontline Eket development unionist holds the adoption of Eseme as a good development, arguing that if Community interest is the onus of representation in the Federal House, there is no sense other candidates going into the race, as Eyiboh is the best hand given his level of intelligence and experience which guarantees him ranking member position, a surety for a greater benefit to the Federal Constituency.

Sir Etteh advised voters in Eket, Esit Eket, Onna, and Ibeno Local government areas to heed President Buhari’s advice to citizens to play down on party interest by voting for good candidates at the elections, by voting for Honourable Eseme Eyiboh, a distinguished gentleman that is not matched by any of the Candidates