Immediate past state chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Uwem Ita Etuk, has been told to stop speaking from both sides of the mouth because as the party chairman he sat, screened and cleared the duo of Imo Udo and Frank Okon for the governorship primaries and he couldn’t have done that if there was indeed zoning of the governorship position.

The warning was contained in a statement issued yesterday in Uyo, the state capital, by the Akwa Ibom Progressive Forum (APF) south west chapter. In the statement signed by Pastor Godspower Oduduabasi and Mr. Effiong Umoren, president and secretary respectively, APF urged the former party chairman to “keep quiet on the issue of zoning because he lacks the required credibility and credentials to comment on the matter.”

According to APF: “It was this same man who has suddenly become an apostle of zoning that sat and cleared Imo Udoh and Frank Okon whom as the chairman, knew they were not from Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District. If truly there was zoning as Etuk would want the people to believe, why didn’t he disqualify them for going against his much touted zoning? If any of them had won, would he have handed the party ticket to (Cief Godswill) Akpabio?”

The group warned the former party chief to keep quiet and not cause unnecessary tension in the state, adding that as the party chairman then, he never appeared at any election tribunals and the conventional court to testify against Frank Okon and to tell the world that Okon was never cleared for the election. Up till now the Okon case is still in court and he has not said anything bad about it, APF noted.

The group appealed to the people of the state to “ensure that they vote for a leader in the mould of Akpabio who has the experience, intelligence and pedigree to continue and even improve upon the achievement of the incumbent as electing leaders based on zoning would breed mediocrity, which is not what the state needs at this point in its socio-economic development.”

•Photo: Ex-Akwa Ibom PDP Chair Uwem Ita Etuk, who has been told to watch his utterances.

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