Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, has said the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in the state, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, was first “discovered” by his wife, Mrs. Unoma Akpabio.
Describing his wife as Mother Theresa and ‘Mkpouto’ Akwa Ibom during the PDP campaign organisation inauguration in Uyo on Tuesday night, Akpabio hailed his wife’s foresight in spotting the then relatively unknown Emmanuel.
“Mother Theresa, Mkpouto Akwa Ibom; she is the First Lady of Akwa Ibom State, who spotted Udom Emmanuel”, he said.
Akpabio also used the occasion to explain why he asked the deputy governor of the state, Mrs. Valerie Ebe, not to contest the 2015 governorship election.
According to him, the stress involved in conducting governorship campaigns would have been inimical for her to contest, adding that he advised her instead to settle for a retirement package and be a stakeholder to advise the youth.
He said, “My deputy may have a slight problem of having to run after me sometimes. So, when I have entered, she comes in about 10 or 20 minutes after. It is allowed, because nobody is blameless, but she is a very humble person and she listens.
“I told her that ‘I don’t want you to contest the 2015 governorship election. I want you to have your retirement package and be a stakeholder and advise young people’. This office is extremely stressful, and she listens to me.
“She would have contested if I did not tell her. As we have G22 now, if she had contested, we would have had G23”, Akpabio added, in reference to the aggrieved PDP governorship aspirants who are presently in talks with the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, towards their possible defection.