Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel has charged the people of the state not to panic over former governor Godswill Akpabio’s defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying his move would not deter him from winning a second term in office.

He made the assertion yesterday at the Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo while declaring his second term bid amid a mammoth crowd from within and outside the state.

He charged the people to brace up to take their destinies in their hands by resisiting APC and his predecessor’s planned takeover of the state using Hitler-style invasion of Poland during World War II.

Udom said Akpabio’s defection to the APC will not stop his re-election, noting that he will work with the people to continue with his superior performance during his second term in office.

His words: “I hold your trust and you hold my trust. Today, we have delivered. Akwa Ibom State is so united and peaceful.

Youth, women, elders, believe in one another and they have a leader who is selfless and who is building a strong future ever in the history of the state.

Today you see service build on humility, integrity, transparency.

“No man is God. I submit myself for consideration to continue with the good work that I have done and I seek your support for my candidature as governor for a second term.

“I submit myself for consideration by the youth, women, elders, Christians, Muslims and community because power belongs to God.

No man is God and one man in Akwa Ibom State cannot determine who governs and who does not govern the state. I ask you to support me on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The governor said he was banking on his performance to return to the Hilltop Mansion in 2019.

Udom noted that he has not reneged in his industrialisation agenda, which includes toothpick, pencil and syringe, electric metres, coconut factory, peacock paint, fertilizer firms and roads construction, stressing that these and other achievements would give him advantage for re-election.

He pointed out that the Akpabio administration left behind some uncompleted projects including the Sheraton by Four Points Hotel at Ikot Ekpene and the Uyo–Ikot Ekpene Road, adding that his administration has been working hard to ensure the completion of the legacy projects of the immediate past administration.