-Senator Ekong Sampson Describes Udom Emmanuel As Man of Honour, Decorum
The immediate past Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, last Tuesday, December 24, 2024, stated that he will not run for the Senate seat come 2027.
He made this declaration in ONNA while hosting PDP chapter and ward executives and members in the local government area in this year’s end of year get-together.
There have been speculations that the former Akwa Ibom State Governor would run for Senate in 2027, even when political tradition favours Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency. The incumbent, Senator Ekong Sampson, a former Commissioner in Udom Emmanuel’s administration, is from Mkpat Enin, the largest local government area in the federal constituency and one of the largest in the state. Sampson has enjoyed high rating so far for his visible and effective representation in the Senate, and for his intellectual depth, and life-touching dispositions.
But addressing a crowd of ONNA political stalwarts and stakeholders in his country home, where the Distinguished Senator Ekong Sampson also visited in the spirit of the season to gift his Yuletide package of bags of rice and cash for the people of the area, Udom stressed that, “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 that I won’t run for Senate. ONNA, I suppose I had already said so?
“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.”
Mr. Emmanuel cautioned that whoever uses his name over Senate issue has nothing to do with him gunning for the seat.
The erstwhile chief executive of the state assured the stakeholders that he will continue to play 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.”
This morning while speaking at the United Evangelical Church in Awa Iman, Mr. Udom Emmanuel repeated pointedly that he will not contest the Senate seat with Senator Ekong Sampson.
In his brief remark earlier at yesterday’s 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 similar visit last year, and to be at the Christmas event of December 25, 2024 organised by Mr. Emmanuel in the area.
He therefore prayed and thanked God for Udom Emmanuel’s life. He thus made announcement of his season’s package for all the political wards in ONNA Local Government Area.
Senator Ekong Sampson continues to distribute Christmas packages to all the local government areas in his senatorial district, and will host stakeholders of the district in Eket later in the week. Last Monday he went round the three federal constituencies in his senatorial district to inspect some of his constituency projects. He has also distributed federal government appointment letters to some of his constituents recently.
Peoplesmind
