The Akwa Ibom State governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has denied claims that his close relationship with the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, is towards dumping the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking during a media parley in Uyo, as part of activities to mark the 37th anniversary celebration of Akwa Ibom State at the weekend, Eno advised the people to learn how to differentiate party issues from governance issues.
The governor said he respects Akpabio as the Senate president and was collaborating with him to attract development to the state.
He said Akwa Ibom was blessed to have the Senate president as the number three citizen of the country, adding that he was going to take advantage of that for the benefit of the state.
The governor said, “The first thing we get from building this relationship is the peace we are all enjoying. Maybe that’s why some people feel that I am neither here nor there. I am a PDP person, I am working for PDP, and as a state we will continue to support the party. But we must differentiate between party issues and governance issues.
“We are going for election now, and I am working for my party, the PDP and we are campaigning, and we will win. Some people have accused me of my body language. I don’t have a body language, you misread me. There is no body language. I am working for the PDP, and we have shown the people that we can be trusted.
“There is no local government that we are not doing something in this state, and there is no comparison. I want voters to be the ones to decide; compare what is done to what you are seeing and look at what is left.
“I am not raised up to be the kind of politician that makes a lot of noise; that go about insulting people and start a fight. If we start that, let us not forget that the other party has people that can make that trouble and the state becomes ungovernable and we have issues everywhere.
“You must know the nature of the kind of leader you have elected. By the grace of God, if I put my mind on doing anything, I achieve it. But I am not the kind of leader that makes noise, I am not given to that noise.
“Let’s continue to maintain a cordial relationship, let’s continue to respect the people that God has put in charge of us. I have a tremendous amount of respect for the Senate president, and I will continue to do so. That does not mean that we don’t disagree when it gets to party issues.”
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