The Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government (SSG), Mr. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, is one of the very few indigenes of the state who are well qualified to succeed Governor Godswill Akpabio, the Akwa Ibom Support Initiative (ASI) has said.

The group in a release signed by the president, Akparawa Ukeme Ekong, and secretary, Obong Sylvester Umana, declared its support for the zoning of the governorship position to Eket Senatorial District “in the spirit of equity, justice and unity.” It lauded Governor Akpabio and the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state for taking the decision.

“We support the zoning of the governorship to ESD and we laud our governor and the party for supporting equity and justice, and we state unequivocally that Udom Emmanuel, as a son of Akwa Ibom and Ibibio is qualified to contest if he wants,” ASI said in the statement issued yesterday in Lagos.

The group chided groups and individuals who have in the past few months risen against Udom Emmanuel, who has yet to declare interest to run, saying: “We condemn the recent spate of sponsored media attacks on the SSG by some individuals and faceless groups, when he has not even declared interest in the position and their actions smack of fear and intimidation of Udom’s intimidating credentials.”

Udom, the release added, “is a bonafide Akwa Ibom and Ibibio son, who has excelled in his chosen career and he is therefore, very, very qualified to contest the governorship if he so desires, adding that, the emergence of Udom as the governor, would lead to the continuation of the uncommon transformation because of his pedigree, exposure, competence and service mentality.”

According to the group, “If Udom decides to contest, people should assess him on his achievements in office, pedigree, educational background, track record of untainted career in the private sector, and not whether he is an Ibibio man from Onna and not from Uyo, afterall, if Akpabio promised to hand-over power to Ibibio in 2015, the question then is are Ibibios in Eket not Ibibios? Let us not, in the name of politics and power struggle, fan the embers of disunity, if truly we are seeking to serve, because we are all brothers and sisters.”

•Photo shows Akwa Ibom SSG Udom Emmanuel.