The immediate past commission­er for finance in Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Bassey Akpan, has said Governor Godswill Akpabio can support or sponsor anybody to suc­ceed him in 2015.
Akpan, who is a guber­natorial aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), however, noted that the governor’s support for anybody was no guarantee of such a person emerging governor in 2015, saying no incumbent governor, including Attah, could produce a preferred suc­cessor.
There had been strong indication that the gover­nor was working in favour of current Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, to suc­ceed him next year. But Akpan said since the gov­ernor could not produce his preferred successor, he was not likely to succeed in that ambition.
The former finance helmsman said he was re­lieved when the governor sacked him and wished him well in his future en­deavours. “I believe that future endeavours would be my becoming the next governor and providing better governance for the people of the state,” he said.
While stressing that he was not desperate in his gubernatorial ambition, Akpan also said he was not a product of zoning, saying there had never been a rigid zoning ar­rangement in the politics of Akwa Ibom State. He also said he was not front­ing for any aspirant to be rewarded with the position of secretary to state gov­ernment or deputy gover­norship position later.

Akpabio has right to sponsor successor –Ex-commissioner