The Governor-Elect of Akwa Ibom state, Pastor Umo Eno has invited Candidates who ran for the office of the Governor on the platform of other parties to join hands with him in the journey of deepening the continued peace and progress of Akwa Ibom State.
Umo Eno made this know while speaking after he was presented with the Certificate of Return today(Thursday, March 20, 2023), at the INEC state Headquarters , in Uyo.
The Speech read;
1.Let me thank most sincerely, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Akwa Ibom State, Dr. Cyril Omorogbe and his great team, Mrs. May Agbamuche- Mbu, the Honourable National Commissioner, of the Commission , South South zone, for their kind invitation for me to receive this Certificate of Return, which symbolizes the last of the levels of recognition of my overwhelming victory at the March 18th, 2023 Gubernatorial elections.
2.Let me again dedicate this victory and the Certificate of Return, to God Almighty and the good people of Akwa Ibom State, for deciding to A.R.I.S.E. with our vision, and electing in the process to embrace peace, development, unity, Christ-centric leadership and a governance philosophy that puts accent on humility and the embrace of our common humanity.
3. Let me again thank most profusely my Political Father, His Excellency, Governor Udom Emmanuel for seeing, as I always say, what others may not have seen in me; his dear wife, and First Lady, Her Excellency, Dr. (Mrs.) Martha Udom Emmanuel, who was our Campaigner-in Chief, my dear wife and Incoming First Lady, Pastor (Mrs.) Patience Umo Eno, our Deputy Governor- Elect, Distinguished Senator Akon Eyakenyi , my wonderful children and their spouses, my siblings and grand-children for their prayer support, faith and trust in my capacity to lead this State. I am deeply and profoundly grateful.
4. I remain eternally grateful to our great Party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for their choice in me, as the Gubernatorial Standard-bearer, our able and indefatigable Chairman, Elder Aniekan Akpan and the State Working Committee of the Party, the numerous Support Groups, who went out to preach the gospel of continuity based on our A.R.I.S.E. Agenda, our Fathers in Faith and the entire Evangelical Community in the State, our numerous stakeholders and Elder statesmen such as former Governor , Obong ( Arc) Victor Attah, the Iroko of AKwa Ibom politics, Chief Michael Afangideh, Distinguished Senator Effiong Bob, among others, our Campaign Director-General, H.E., Ambassador Assam Assam, SAN and the Campaign Council, various Directorates, the Youth, Women, Elders etc. You believed, your toiled, you sacrificed and the moment for the pursuit of happiness is here.
4. Let me again use this opportunity to invite my brothers who, also, aspired and contested for the same position that it has pleased God to entrust me with today, to join me in this great journey of deepening the continued peace and progress of our dear State. As I said in my Acceptance Speech, we all ran a good race, but in any contest, a winner must emerge and it has pleased God to make me the winner. I am committed to remaining magnanimous in victory and be a Governor for all Akwaibomites irrespective of their political affiliations.
5. Permit me to thank the other contestants who ran with me, and who have since visited to congratulate me and promised to work with me in furtherance of our developmental agenda as enshrined in our A.R.I.S.E. Agenda.
6. Let me thank most especially the Chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC,) Akwa Ibom State, Hon. Ubong Emmanuel who was also a gubernatorial candidate for ADP and the entire leadership of the organization for their ringing endorsement of our victory and again reaffirming that the March 18th, 2023 election was free, fair, credible and represented the expressed will of our dear people.
7. Let me again reemphasize the need for us to eschew hatred based on our political differences. There is too much polarization along political lines in this State. We must not allow politics to poison the well of our unity. We must continue to celebrate and deepen our bonds and cords of brotherhood, our deeply rooted homogenous beliefs, shared values and ethos and shy away from hatred, anger, animosity and animus towards one another based purely on political differences.
8.Political campaigns are over; it’s time to heal the land and further move the needle of development of our State collectively, in one accord and with unbroken spirit of kindreship. That is the spirit I will bring to the administration of this State, so help me God.
9. Thank you again, for this great moment. God bless us all.
