Akwa Ibom state governor-elect, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno has said that he holds no grudge against anybody despite the storm of opposition which trailed his choice as the standard bearer of the People’s Democratic Party in the state.
He made this known in his acceptance speech after he was declared the winner of the governorship contest by the Independent National Electoral Commission on Sunday evening .
Eno won in 29 of 31 local government areas , polling a total votes of 354, 084 to emerge winner of the governorship race.
He called on the opposition parties and the entire people of the state to join hands with him to build an egalitarian state for the benefits of all.
He, however, dedicated the victory to God even as he appreciated Governor Udom Emmanuel for the confidence reposed in him, and the church , his family , PDP as well as the people of the state for their unalloyed supports.
The text reads: “I stand here, humbled yet energized by the massive support and overwhelming vote of confidence in my capacity to be your Servant-Leader in the next four years that you showed me yesterday, at the polls. It was peaceful, credible, fair and a ringing expression of the will of our people.
“You came out massively to vote for the continuation of the peace and security of lives and property we have enjoyed in the last almost eight years; the continuation of a Christ-centric leadership, of humility in governance, compassion, competence, character and development across all sectors. You did this, so our children and generations yet unborn will enjoy the dividends of democracy and live happily, in brotherhood, love and unity.
“I dedicate this victory to God, for the grace He has shown me, for the strength to carry on, in the face of several challenges and for the inner peace to keep moving with my eyes clearly set on the ball and not to be distracted. To that same God be all glory!”
Expressing gratitude to the Governor, he said “Let me specifically thank my Political Father, the Leader of our Party, our dear Governor, His Excellency, Udom Emmanuel, for seeing in me, what others may not have seen. Thank you Your Excellency, for standing by me, for leading the troop for the continuation of good governance, for insisting that what God has started in Akwa Ibom State, must continue and the story be told in more enchanting chapters.
“To our First Lady, and our Campaigner-in Chief, Her Excellency, Dr. (Mrs.) Martha Udom Emmanuel, thank you for the long hours, the soaring speeches at campaigns which ultimately manifested in the massive victory we got yesterday.
“I pledge to you, Your Excellency and our dear people who have bought into your vision that I will not disappoint in this onerous task God has placed on my shoulders. Like you have shown, I am coming thoroughly prepared to hit the ground running from Day One.
“Let me thank my family, my dear Wife, Pastor (Mrs.) Patience Umo Eno, my wonderful children, their spouses, my siblings and grand-children, my extended family for providing me the comfort and unwavering support and prayers in the face of vile and manufactured lies and propaganda that were concocted against me. I know how emotionally traumatized those moments may have been, but the battle is over now, and I bear no grudges.
“Let me thank the Church, and Fathers in Faith for your prayers and intercessions. I am one of you, and I pledge to continue to run a Christ-Centric administration where good will always trump evil, and where morality and good conscience will form the building blocks of our administration.
“To our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), our Chairman, Elder Aniekan Akpan and the State Executive Working Committee, our Campaign Council Director General, H.E. Ambassador Assam Assam (SAN), the members of the Campaign Council and all the Directorates, you all deserve a huge pat on the back for staying true to our convictions and your unyielding dedication to our victory at the polls.
“To the youths of Akwa Ibom State, thank you for maintaining the peace and taking ownership of the collective destiny and aspirations of our people to live in peace. By your avowed dedication to end violence and embrace peace, we were able to have a very peaceful elections yesterday. Kudos to you all!
“Let me commend my opponents for putting up a good fight. In any political contest, a winner must emerge and today, it has pleased God to place me as the winner of this contest. I hereby extend an olive branch and my hand of fellowship to all my brothers who contested with me, to join me in building the Akwa Ibom State where the symphonies of peace, development, love, unity and brotherhood would continue to ring louder and bind us all even deeper together.
“As a pastor, I harbor no hate or animosity towards any one. As Abraham Lincoln once said, “with malice towards none, with charity for all”, I promise to run an all-inclusive government, where no one would be punished or victimized on account of holding a different political opinion,” he stated.
