Focus On Campaign And Stop Attacking Individuals, Udom Replies Tinubu

Posted by Nwa Diokpa Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Wednesday, February 1st, 2023

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Udom Emmanuel, governor of Akwa Ibom, has stated that political campaigns should be hinged on addressing issues affecting the country and not about attacking individuals.

Emmanuel stated this when he inaugurated the newly appointed permanent secretaries, chairpersons and members of boards and commissions, and the transition committee in Uyo, the state capital on Wednesday.

The African Examiner recalls that While campaigning in the state on Monday, Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), had slammed Emmanuel for supporting the presidential bid of Atiku Abubakar, standard-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“Akwa Ibom, that boy that brought Atiku here, who calls himself governor — tell him enough is enough. He lives in my backyard in Lagos. If not that we are friends, I would have driven him home,” Tinubu said.

Reacting, Emmanuel stated that Tinubu’s comment should focus on what he wants to do if elected instead of launching personal attacks on individuals.

“When you leave what you can do for the people and be talking about other people, it means you don’t have anything to offer people,” Emmanuel said.

“If I had wanted to answer Asiwaju, he won’t carry the kind of insult I would have insulted him.

“You (Tinubu) say ‘that boy that brought Atiku here and call himself a governor’. What an insult! In a whole state. Then our people were there clapping. Other governors there clapping. If you don’t have anything to tell the people, then you come and go.

“If you watch our campaign, my principal has never spoken about any governor. My principal has never spoken openly about Asiwaju before. I don’t want to answer him. But I will answer him one day.

“He is insulting 7.9 million people. It is not about Udom Emmanuel, it is about government, it is about people. I don’t want to join issues with these people.”