The All Progressives Congress in Akwa Ibom State will begin its campaign for the local government elections scheduled for October 5, 2024.
The Chairman of the APC Local Government Campaign and Planning Committee, Senator Ita Enang, on Tuesday, announced that the campaign will officially start on September 18 at the Ikot Ekpene Township Stadium.
Enang expressed optimism about the party’s prospects, citing President Bola Tinubu’s initiative to grant local government autonomy as a positive step, according to Daily Post.
He also noted that Governor Pastor Umo Eno has pledged to ensure a fair electoral process, though Enang raised concerns about the impartiality of the Akwa Ibom State Independent Electoral Commission chairman, Ikoiwak.
Enang criticized the current PDP-led administration for its performance, asserting that APC candidates are well-prepared to deliver on promises such as road construction, agricultural promotion, and local education management.
“We will kick off our local government election campaign on September 18 at the Ikot Ekpene Township Stadium,” Enang said. “We are confident in our ability to win across all 31 LGAs in Akwa Ibom, despite the state being currently governed by the PDP.”
He further highlighted the shortcomings of local governments under the PDP, pointing out that essential services and infrastructure improvements have been lacking.
He said, “On 18th of September we will formally flag off local government elections campaign of the All Progressives Congress at the township stadium, Ikot Ekpene.
“We are confident that the President having taken the bold step of ensuring the autonomy of local governments from states government and ensuring that government of Nigeria is run at three tiers as ought to be – Federal Government, state government, and local government – and having rescued the states, the local government, from the claws and the kidnap of the states, that we are confident that we are going to contest and we will win the elections in all the 31 LGAs in Akwa Ibom State.
“We are more than them. Akwa Ibom is APC state. Only, unfortunately, controlled by the PDP state government. We respect that they are in charge as government but we are more than them. So, we want to display our majority, our strength and our capacity in the oncoming local government elections.
“I’m sure you’ve not been satisfied with the performance of the local governments in Akwa Ibom State. Local governments have capacity under the law to tar roads, to do culverts, to manage local education authority, to repair and build primary schools, to embark on agriculture, produce food, to work and take part on land matters in local government, issuing customary rental capacity. But that has not happened in Akwa Ibom State.”
