His plea was contained in a statement on Tuesday by his Press Secretary, Ekikere Umoh, titled, “Accommodate All Returnees, Akwa Ibom Deputy Governor Tells PDP.”
According to the statement, Ekpo made the appeal while visiting 11 PDP wards in Abak Local Government Area of the state.
He noted that since the state had become the stronghold of the PDP, party officials must appreciate the need to accommodate persons who were either cajoled or manipulated to leave the party.
The statement read in part, “Don’t ever forget that our symbol is the umbrella, and of what use would be a large umbrella which cannot shelter people from the rains and harsh weather.”
He explained that the essence of his visit was to “feel the pulse of the party at the grassroots and to sensitise them to the fact that the party primaries were over with the emergence of candidates, and to further urge all members to close ranks and work as a family in order to sustain the party’s success at the forthcoming 2023 polls.”
He further charged the membership of the party at the grassroots to continue to support the party in order to reap the benefits of democracy and good governance, assuring them that it was only by so doing that the grassroots could experience steady development and rural transformation.
Ekpo also used the occasion to urge the party members to register and obtain their Permanent Voter Cards while presenting the candidates who would fly the party’s flag for the state and the National Assembly in the 2023 elections.
He, therefore, solicited their support for the candidates during the forthcoming elections.
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