CRN bye-election : Unical VC picks APC nomination form, says he's sure of victory

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. Zana Akpagu has picked the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senate nomination form to contest the Cross River North bye-election.

Akpagu, the leading APC aspirant in the race said that he is sure of victory as he is contesting to win and not to settle for second position.

Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recently released time table that fixed October 31st for the bye-election to fill the vacuum created by the demise of late Sen. Rose Oko.

Speaking shortly after picking his form on Tuesday, August 18 at the party's national secretariat in Abuja, Akpagu, a former Commissioner for Education in Cross River State said that he is not only ready for the party's primary but for the main election.

Lamenting that the Senatorial district has suffered severe underdevelopment occasioned by poor representation, he averred that with him as Senator, things will turnaround in the zone for better.

While expressing confidence in winning the party's nomination and the main election, he added that he was not in the race because he feels he's the richest man but because of the yearnings of the people for positive change.

According to him, "I'm not in the race because I feel I have the money to buy the people, in fact, I believe that our people are too civilized to be bought over. I'm in the race because I feel the cry of our people to key into the change agenda of our great party, the APC and President Mohammadu Buhari.

"Cross River North is blessed with vast land for agriculture but why have we not harnessed the potential and properly liaised with the federal government to attract many of the government's agricultural initiatives to our people?

From available data, our Senatorial district is lagging behind in terms of federal government jobs when compared to other Senatorial districts. This is because we've not sent people who understand the sufferings of our people. There are opportunities there but we just need people with the will power to pursue them for our people. That's exactly what I'm very convinced that I can and will do as Senator".

He added that "I'm not coming with so much promises because I believe that our modest efforts in our previous positions and where I'm now have been speaking for me and my team loudly. I'm not just contesting because we want to come second, but because I'm confident that we can and shall win".