Contrary to the recent media reports alleging and speculation that councillors in Akwa Ibom State have endorsed pastor Umo Bassey Eno, as a preferred Governorship candidate in the 2023 race, the grassroots lawmakers have condermed the report, stating that they are yet to take decision to support any gubernataria aspirant in the State.

According to some councillors who disclosed this to our reporter on the condition of anonymity, Councillors in Akwa Ibom State were not happy with the development and have distance themselves from such endorsement, noting that there is no forum where councillors have sat down on their own to discuss on their welfare talk less of endorsing anybody for governorship.

It would be reclled that on the 17th February 2022, Councillors from the 31 Local Government Areas and 368 Wards in Akwa Ibom State were invited to a consultation meeting at Ibom Hall, IBB Avenue, Uyo where the consultation team of Pastor Umo Eno and the leadership of Maintain Peace Movement (MPM) came to consult the Councillors of his governorship aspirantion.

According to information as at the time of filling this report, only three Councillors were selected in the said consultation meeting by the campaign team to speak on behalf of the entire Councillors from the three senatorial districts of the State, maintaining that it was the same campaign team that appointed two females Councillors who happened to be the Leader of Abak Legislative Council and the Leader of Oron Legislative Council respectively to move and second a motion for endorsement of Pastor Umo Eno, as the preferred governorship aspirant before a serious noise and rejection by the Councillors which prompted the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Frank Archibong to change the Leader of Oron Legislative Council as seconder of the said endorsement and appointment a male Councillors to second the motion.

They Councillors said it is regrettable that they were not allow to express themselves, stressing that the three people that spoke did so on their own as they were not speaking on behalf of Councillors, but the interest of their pay masters.

They insisted that councillors in Akwa Ibom State are still very open to receive any governorship aspirant that is willing to consult them.

According to them "the Honourable Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Frank Archibong has never call us to a meeting and it's very sad that he has never talk to the Governor to organize seminar or workshop for the Councillors so as to help us understand the legislative rudiments and procedures, all he did is to come and choose somebody to move endorsement motion so as to achieve his purpose of becoming the Deputy Governor.

" The Governor on his own has never meet us since we were sworn into office as councillors in 2020 December, and he has never told us formerly of his anointed candidate, so it would be very wrong for us to just wake up and endorse anybody without hearing from the Governor.

"Nobody is interested in the welfare of Councillors in Akwa Ibom State. It's shameful that as Councillors, we don't know how much that is allocated to our respective Local Government Areas. All we heard is that whenever they chairmen goes for Joint Account meeting with the Governor, they will go and collect five million naria each which we are told they are using the money for contribution and each Chairman will go home with One Hundred and Fifty Five Million naria each at the end of the contribution. So what is the interest of the Councillors? We are using our salary to reach out to our people. No constituency project, no impressed apart from half of our security vote. It is very sad that some Councillors after three years may not have anything to show for it considering the pressure from our respective wards. They worst of it is that our Leaders in the 31 Local Government Areas are monument, they can be picked and drop anywhere. These are the worst set of leaders. We don't have councillors Forum in Akwa Ibom State. There are Forum of Local Government Chairmen, we also have Forum of Vice Chairmen and even Forum of Supervisors and Forum of Leaders but no forum of Councillors. The leaders are saying that the Governor has not given them the approval to bring Councillors together to form a forum, what a shame.

We have the right to support any candidate of our choice because we are not recognize. Even at the level of MPM no Councillor in Akwa Ibom State was recognize in their respective wards. Councillors have been relegated to the background and will definitely resist their antice at the polls".