The immediate past Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel has denied any senatorial ambition describing such reports as misleading and not in line with his character of being a man of his words .
Before his exit from office in May 2023, stakeholders of ad asked him whether he would run for the Senate and he rejected the idea saying the zoning arrangement should be respected which favoured another federal constituency.
But there have been subtle reports that he might be nursing a senate ambition less than two years after leaving office.
Addressing stakeholders, chapter and ward executives of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) including the incumbent Senator Ekong Sampson in his hometown in Onna during this year’s end of year get-together, Udom stressed that he won’t run for Senate.
“Senator, I’m giving this promise in the presence of the people of ONNA, because a lot of people have been coming to me, saying that some people have printed posters using my name and photograph. I have said it from day one.
“I’m not the kind of person that says one thing today, and says another the next day. I’m not going to the Senate.
*Any day anybody comes to you to say that I’m saying otherwise, know that the person is lying. So, Senator, I’m not running for the Senate [seat] at all.”
He cautioned that whoever uses his name over the Senate issue has nothing to do with him gunning for the seat.
Udom assured the stakeholders that he will continue to play a supportive role in people’s political ambition, adding, “That’s why I’m quite in support of this principle of rotation. It means that when it moves from one person’s dispensation, it will accordingly favour another’s dispensation. This ensures that things are done very peacefully, and devoid of any rancour.”
In his brief remark earlier at an event, which was attended by past and present political office holders in the state and the area, Senator Ekong Sampson described Udom Emmanuel as a man of honour and decorum.
The federal Lawmaker acknowledged with gratitude the support which ex-Governor Udom Emmanuel gave him in the Senate race.
Senator Ekong Sampson said that he had to make his visit to Onna a priority due to the fact that he holds the ex-governor and the entire people of the area in very high esteem.
He recalled how he had made it mandatory to make a similar visit last year, and to be at the Christmas event of December 25, 2024 organised by Mr. Emmanuel in the area.