Akpabio Woos Diaspora Nigerians For Jonathan Presidency

Source: OBONG JOSEPH - thewillnigeria.com
Click for Full Image Size
PHOTO: AKWA IBOM STATE GOVERNOR, MR GODSWILL AKPABIO.


UYO, August 05, (THEWILL) - Governor Godswill Akpabio of oil rich Akwa Ibom State has emerged the first Nigerian Governor to take the campaign abroad for President Goodluck Jonathan’s election in the 2011 Presidential election.

Akpabio who was conferred with an Award of Excellence by Akwa Ibomites living in the United Kingdom and Ireland reportedly urged Nigerians living in that part of the world to support and vote for the candidature of President Jonathan if he decides to contest the 2011 elections.

The Governor who reportedly advanced the campaign while speaking with world media representatives in London shortly after the award argued that Jonathan’s contest for the office of President should be seen as part of the on going amnesty granted the region by late President Umar Yar'Adua.

According to him, it is very natural and moral that the incumbent President who had a joint ticket on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) be allowed to complete the two terms of eight years that he started with his late boss in 2007, because if not for the untimely demise of our former President, they would have ran together in 2011.


"Let us not forget so soon that the president had before his nomination won the governorship primaries of his state and if not for the national call, he would have contested and won the governorship which would have guaranteed him a return bid in 2011.

"Should we now say because of zoning we should terminate so abruptly the political career of a promising son of the Niger Delta?"

He also appealed to Nigerians, especially the North to see the emergence and calls for Jonathan Presidency in 2011 as a continuation of the amnesty programme which the late President declared for the region.

"I will appeal to your brothers in the North to see the development as part of amnesty. The amnesty project was put in place to address the neglect of the region by the late President and let us not forget the fact that since the amnesty declaration was intended to address the criminal neglect of the zone, the issue of the Jonathan Presidency should be seen from that light."


Continuing he stressed, "let us not forget the fact that since this country came to being, no body from the Niger Delta zone have been opportune to sit on that seat but due to divine providence this has happened, it behoves on all to rally round the zone as it has been rallying round the North to ensure that that age long neglect is finally redressed by supporting the incumbent president to continue and complete the tenure he jointly started in 2007," Akpabio said.