The Admin
The immediate past Governor of Akwa Ibom State, His Excellency Mr. Udom Emmanuel, CON, has distanced himself from political statements recently circulated in sections of the media, describing them as false, misleading, and malicious.
In a statement issued by his Media Aide, Stephen Abia, Esq., Mr. Emmanuel said the comments were concocted by “wicked elements” pursuing selfish political interests.
According to Abia, the former governor was in his hometown, Awa-Iman in ONNA Local Government Area, to participate in preparations for the burial of his cousin, Elder Ukpong Ukpong, scheduled for this Saturday.
On arrival, Mr. Emmanuel condoled with the bereaved family and expressed appreciation to various groups who had gathered to sympathize with them. He cautioned against politicizing the solemn event and urged the people to maintain peace and unity.
“We are not here for politics, and so I will not talk politics. You all know that Elder Ukpong was quite a relatively young man and we must do our best to pay our last respect to him,” the former governor was quoted as saying.
Abia challenged those behind the alleged falsehood to produce any audio or video evidence of the purported political remarks, warning that the former governor would not tolerate deliberate attempts to cause distractions or political rifts.
He further urged the public to disregard the misleading publications, stressing that they were designed to divert attention from the solemn occasion.
