By ETIM ETIM
With a presidential visit and campaign mega rallies, November will be a very politically busy month in Akwa Ibom State. An official announcement is yet to be made, but on the streets, preparations are ongoing.
Billboards are going up and medians are being repainted. The Presidential visit is long in coming, having been initially scheduled for September. The people appear well primed for it and other events of the season.
The series of events opens on Sunday, November 1, with prayers and supplications at the International Worship Center in Uyo, where the governor will specifically pray for a peaceful campaign season in the state.
This would be followed by a mega rally at the iconic Godswill Akpabio International stadium on Wednesday, November 4. It is being organized by one of Gov. Umo Eno’s main support groups, Arise With Renewed Hope Initiative (AWRHI) to formally endorse the reelection of the President Tinubu, the governor and Senate President and drum up support for other APC candidates in the state. The group’s President, Engr. Uwem Okoko says over 50,000 persons are expected at the rally.
‘’The arena will be filled to capacity and we expect an overflow into the adjoining streets and car parks’’, Okoko told a meeting of the executives of the support group in Uyo Friday.
Two days later – Friday, November 6 – President Tinubu arrives Uyo for a state visit to commission projects. Details of the presidential visit are still being worked out, but it goes without saying that the President will commission the iconic ARISE theme park and family recreation center, in addition to roads and other infrastructure projects. On Wednesday, November 18, another big campaign event would be staged in Uyo to rally support for the President. This time, it would be organized by the Presidential Campaign Council, and would be addressed by the Vice President, Senate President, governors and other party henchmen.
The rest of the month will see frenetic campaigns and heightened political activities by other candidates. ‘’I am waiting for the governor to launch his campaign and I will follow suit immediately after’’, Senator Ekong Sampson, of Akwa Ibom South district said.
The state is dominated by the APC, but other parties, notably ADC, NDC and PDP are warming up to the task.
ETIM ETIM is a veteran journalist and PR professional with over 35 years of cognate experience.
He is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Policy & Politics (www.policyandpolitics.com.ng), an online newspaper dedicated to insightful analysis of Nigerian news and world’s report. He is also a columnist with BusinessDay and The Cable and is a regular contributor to other newspapers.
Contact: +234802 3159969 (WhatsApp Only)
