Immediate past Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio, says he regrets “imposing” Udom Emmanuel on the people of the state as his successor.
Akpabio, who was until recently, the Senate minority leader, made the statement on Sunday evening to a crowd at Ikot Ekpene Plaza, who returned with him from his mother-in-law’s burial at Enugu.
Akpabio, who represents Akwa Ibom North West in the Senate, said Emmanuel was the greatest mistake he made in a hurry and asked to be forgiven.
He added that “Udom Emmanuel is a mistake that must be corrected in 2019. All hands must be on deck to ensure that the mistake is corrected for a people-oriented leadership under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at the centre.”
Akpabio spoke of a prevalence of hunger and deprivation in the state since Emmanuel’s administration assumed power, adding that it was time for “holistic action” to liberate the state from the shackles of bad governance.
The 55-year-old former governor had in the run-up to the 2015 elections, declared Emmanuel, then secretary to the state government, next in line to succeed him, even when 26 aspirants jostled for the post.
