The governorship candidate of the Young Progressives Party in Akwa Ibom State, Senator Bassey Akpan, on Friday unveiled a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, Asuquo Amba, as his running mate in the 2023 general elections in the state.
Senator Akpan emerged the consensus governorship candidate of the party, at a well-attended ceremony, which held in Uyo, the state capital on Thursday.
Speaking at the unveiling ceremony at the party’s secretariat, along 4 Lane, Uyo, Akpan said it was expedient to choose a deputy whom he said emerged following a wider consultation so that they can hit the ground running.
Akpan who hinted that his government will be based in 3Rs: Recover, Reconcile and Reposition Akwa Ibom state, added that his administration would banish poverty from the surfaces of the state, by ensuring that the welfare of the people was aggressively pursued.
He described AIG Amba (retd.) as “a man who has served this country, meritoriously, with passion , a true Akwa Ibomite who did his job for Nigeria in the Nigerian Police Force, with an incontrovertible Curriculum Vitae.”
Amba, who read English and Literary study from the Lagos state University is a native of Urue Offong/Oruko, Akwa Ibom and retired as AIG at the Force Criminal Investigation Department Annex, Gombe State in 2021.
He is married to the immediate past President General of Oro Union, Chief Janet Amba, who recently resigned from Akwa Ibom State Government as Senior Special Assistant to the Governor.
His resume revealed that he was a lecturer in the University of Lagos before enlisted into the Nigerian Police in 1986. He served as commissioner of police in different states including Bayelsa, Ekiti and in charge of counter – terrorism at the force headquarters before he was promoted to the rank of an Assistant Inspector General.
In his acceptance speech, AIG Amba who described Senator Akpan as “the legend of our time” expressed appreciation to the senator and the entire party structure for having faith in him.
He promised that as a “spare tyre”, his “loyalty is already 100%” to the incoming governor, the party and Akwa Ibom people even as he promised to bring his wealth of experience in supporting his principal if elected as governor.