If not for the foresight of the Akwa Ibom State First Lady, Mrs. Unoma Akpabio, perhaps the 2015 Peoples Democratic Party candidate in the state, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, would not have been “discovered” and “anointed” the successor of her husband.
According to the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Godswill Akpabio, it was his wife Unoma, that recommended Udom for the plumb position and he yielded.
Describing his wife as Mother Theresa and ‘Mkpouto’ Akwa Ibom during the PDP campaign organisation inauguration in Uyo on Tuesday night, the governor commended the his wife for her foresight in spotting Emmanuel.
“Mother Theresa, Mkpouto Akwa Ibom; she is the First Lady of Akwa Ibom State, who spotted Udom Emmanuel,” he said.
in addition, Governor Akpabio revealed that during the build up to the 2015 gubernatorial primaries, he asked his deputy, Mrs. Valerie Ebe, not to contest the 2015 governorship election and accept her handsome retirement package, an offer which she willingly accepted.
“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 stated.
