Gov Emmanuel to receive Buhari at Akwa Ibom airport

The Akwa Ibom governor, Udom Emmanuel, is billed to receive President Muhammadu Buhari at the Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo, Alabosi blog has learnt.

Mr Buhari is visiting Akwa Ibom today, Friday, to flag off his re-election campaign.

The Commissioner for Information in the state, Charles Udoh, confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Emmanuel, as part of his itinerary, would be at the airport to receive the president.

The governor is expected to be accompanied by other state officials.

There has been political tension of late in the state between Mr Buhari’s party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Governor Emmanuel’s party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

A few days ago, during the visit of President Buhari’s wife, Aisha, to the state, there was a scuffle at the Uyo airport between Governor Emmanuel’s wife and the wife of Godswill Akpabio, a senator from the state.

The two women, including their supporters, were contesting who was the right person to receive Mrs Buhari at the airport.

Mrs Buhari was in the state to flag off her pet project called Future Assured.

The Akwa Ibom government this week ignited controversy when it rejected a request for the use of the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, for the flag-off of Mr Buhari’s election campaign.

The government had said the event, being a non-sports event, would damage the stadium’s turf.

The government later reversed itself and granted approval for the use of the 30,000-capacity stadium.

The campaign organisation of Governor Emmanuel has said people should not see the reversal as a weakness on the part of the governor.

“These are no signs of weakness but evidence of a sound and matured leadership by the governor,” Idongesit Nkanga, a former military governor of the state and the director general of the campaign organisation, said on Thursday, in a statement.

“The decision is a clear indication Mr Emmanuel respects constitutional offices especially the office of the President,” the statement added.Listen to music online, music video, todays's news headlines, Nigeria entertainment news, new sports news and of-course some gossipnews on Alabosi Nigeria blog.