The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno, has said that he will not oppose or attack the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu despite being a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The governor made the statement in a rousing speech during a reception ceremony for thoúsands of defectors from the APC and other opposition parties into the ruling PDP in the state, which took place in Uyo.
Governor Eno, who is also a Pastor said at the gathering:
“A lot of people have asked repeatedly: Are you in PDP? Yes! I am in PDP but my PDP is not the type that insults people. So, I want to beg you as you come back, one of the things you must drop is let’s not attack leaders.
“From the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we will and must show him support and respect. That is the PDP I run. We don’t attack leadership because what goes around, comes around.
“If I have a suggestion, I have access to the president, we will go and give our suggestions. We will support our leaders and we will not fight them.
“I am a pastor trained to respect people and we must continue to show that all-important character of humility, compassion, and respect to constituted authority.
“That, I shall continue to do. I and our party will continue to collaborate with the centre so that we can bring dividends of democracy to Akwa Ibom. I will not fight the centre. Nobody will fight the centre. That is the point and now that you are coming back, that is what we will maintain. We will give peace a chance.
“The last administration that God made me to take over from was peaceful and so there is a continuity. Without peace, there can be no progress. So, please for those of you that were abusing us, don’t bring that spirit of abuse and begin to abuse people in authority. Please, drop that spirit, and let’s work together. We have only one President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and we owe him our allegiance.
“We must show respect, decency, and loyalty. That’s why, everything that the president had promised us, God will touch his heart and he will give it to us. You don’t abuse somebody and then turn around and want to go and benefit from the person”, Governor Uno added.