Former Secretary to the State Government (SSG) in Akwa-Ibom State, Mr Udom Emmanuel, is a leading aspirant to the governorship seat of the state in 2015. He recently submitted his nomination form for the primaries in Abuja after which he was engaged by journalists. Group Politics Editor, TAIWO ADISA, was there. Excerpts:
THERE are reports that the ward congresses held by your party in the different states recently fell short of expectations. Knowing that the congress is key to emergence of candidates, what is your take on the development?
When we conducted the affairs of that day, it was quite peaceful and I am surprised that what I am reading from the newspapers is deliberately slightly different from what we experienced on the field.
I also want to say that probably, most of those write-ups aren’t coming from people who were actually present at the ward congresses. But those who actually participated and also came with a clear mind will admit here that it was actually a well managed process and also
well conducted. The entire affairs of that day, especially in my own senatorial district that I was able to witness and also watched the tapes was quite free and fair.
I also want here to, at least, appeal to all Nigerians and aspirants that they should let us try and imbibe that spirit of sportsmanship, knowing full well that once there is a contest, there must be a winner. And I don’t want to say here that there is a loser. There is no loser at all in a democracy, except the aspirants aren’t passing the right message to the people.
But we are having the right message for the people here and I say that we are all winners. It is actually a win-win game; whoever wins does for the generality of the people and also with the interest of the people, because, based on democracy, here, we are saying that everybody is important; everybody is involved.
We want to say that based on what we saw in Akwa-Ibom on that Saturday you referred to, its was good; it was well conducted; it was peaceful and the outcome was acceptable to all.
You are trying to take over from a man who has been adjudged as having transformed the state to an uncommon level. Aren’t you intimidated by his performance?
I think one intimidation isn’t in one of the qualities of a good leader. And at this point in time, if you look at political awareness of Akwa-Ibom indigenes, it is one of the greatest in this continent of Africa.
And based on our political awareness, I believe our people take time to know if this man is capable or not. I am sure they would have assessed what the capacity is like and what the shoes size is like before they now totally submit the person that should wear that size of the shoe, knowing it is a very big shoe, based on what is on ground and that’s why they call the size of that shoe 2015; that size 2015 in Akwa-Ibom State; we say there is only one pair of legs that can wear it. That is just the right leg.
Now, everybody is shouting Udom is the right person. Looking at the capacity; what it takes, I believe our people aren’t making mistakes.
Culled from: Nigerian Tribune
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