As the 2023 general election draws closer, the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Akwa Ibom State, Mr Ezekiel Nyak-Etok, has denied that the party has concluded arrangements to collapse its structure to support the gubernatorial candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Senator John Akpanudoedehe.
According to the rumour making the rounds, Kwankwaso, is alleged to have wooed Nya-Etok and the leadership of ADC with cash running into millions of naira, for the purported merger deal.
Akpanudoedehe, the immediate past national secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), resigned from the APC two months ago, to form alliance with the former governor of Kano State and presidential candidate, Alhaji Musa Kwankwaso, to further his quest to govern Akwa Ibom, in 2023.
But Nyak-Etok, who dismissed the report as fake news said the party will not collapse its structure for anybody adding that ADC was founded with men of proven integrity, who will not sabotage the trust and confidence reposed in them by Akwa Ibom people.
He bemoaned the high rate of unverified news and warned news purveyors to always cross-check their facts before going to the press, describing the news as fake and handiwork of mischief makers.
He said, “The story making the rounds, that a very good friend of mine, Alhaji Kwankwaso had called me, settled me with a few millions, and subsequently gotten me to endorse the candidate of his party in Akwa Ibom State is in bad faith. The allegation as earlier mentioned, is weighty in more ways than one. ADC is a party that is built around integrity, service, and sacrifice.
“Many Nigerians, and in Akwa Ibom State have made unquantifiable sacrifices to build the party to the brand and standard that can be celebrated by leaders that can be considered to be great by assessment. It would therefore be the height of betrayal for one to sell the sweat and faith equity of these noble Akwa Ibomites.”
