Chief Godswill Akpabio, Governor of Akwa Ibom State and the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, has washed his hands off the posters in some parts of Abuja linking him with the next presidential election.

Akpabio in a statement issued this afternoon by the state Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mr. Aniekan Umanah, described the posters as “clearly the handiwork of mischief makers,” stressing that he is focused on running for Senate and has nointerest whatsoever in the office of President or Vice-President in 2015.

The statement said of the posters bearing Akpabio’s image and that of the Governor of Katsina State, Alhaji Ibrahim Shehu Shema for Presidency 2015:

“For the avoidance of doubt, His Excellency, Chief Akpabioclearly dissociates himselffrom the printing and circulation of these posters which is clearly the handiwork of mischief makers who are bent on heating up the polity for noreason whatsoever.

“We state emphatically that Governor Akpabio is not interested in the Presidency in 2015 and has not mandated anybody to campaign for him. His focus is on the completion of his Uncommon Transformation agendawhich has changed the face Akwa Ibom State for good.

“In fact, he has made it very clear that based on the pressure by the good people of Akwa Ibom North West (Ikot Ekpene) Senatorial District, he wishes to represent them at the Senate in 2015.

“We urge the general public to completely ignore this mischief engineered by political jobbers and continue to support the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in the arduous task of transforming this nation, Nigeria.”

•Photo: Governor Akpabio.