The Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Udom Emmanuel, has denied barring the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant and former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, from consulting with delegates from the state.
While calling on members of the public to disregard the information, Emmanuel said it is an act of pure mischief for anyone to insinuate such as it was incompatible with his disposition as a person.
The governor, who is contesting with Atiku, for the 2023 presidential election, said this in a statement on Sunday, while reacting to a news item tagged “2023 Presidential Shocker: Udom blocks Atiku from consulting Akwa Ibom delegates”.
According to the statement, which was issued by his Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Ini Ememobong, the governor urged the public to disregard the report and treat it as an act of mischief.
The statement said other aspirants have visited the delegates without any hindrance and wondered why someone would think that Atiku was barred.
The statement reads in part, “The news item with the above heading surfaced on the media space, alleging that Governor Udom Emmanuel barred Alh. Atiku Abubakar from meeting with delegates.
“It also went on to make a lot of spurious allegations, laced with foul and profane language. Nothing can be farther from the truth as this. The said news is totally incompatible with the known accommodating disposition of the Governor.
“The truth is that the Governor who has been in communication and contact with all other Presidential Aspirants(Atiku Abubakar inclusive) was informed that the former Vice President will be visiting on Monday, 16th May,2022 to meet with delegates and thereafter see him (Gov. Emmanuel)by 4pm, a proposal that was unhesitatingly accepted.”
