Pastor whose Church was marked for demolition after criticising a siting Governor becomes party chairman

The pastor was not elected through a congress of the party, he only became chairman through a pronouncement before members of the party.

Nyeneime Andy, the senior pastor of Holy Ghost Ambassadors Ministry in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, is the new state chairman of Young Progressive Party (YPP).

Mr Andy’s church building in Uyo was marked for demolition, in August last year, after criticising the plan by Governor Udom Emmanuel to foist a successor on the people of the oil-rich state in 2023.

Mr Andy was “installed” as the Akwa Ibom state chairman of YPP on Friday by Tosan Yarima, the zonal chairman of the party, during the unveiling of the party’s state secretariat in Uyo.

Mr Yarima said the party has confidence in Mr Andy to deliver its mandate in Akwa Ibom in the forthcoming 2023 general elections.

“YPP is bringing an era with a new line charged engineered by innovations backed up and fired by persuaded leadership. In Akwa Ibom State, we are committing that nature of leadership into the hands of Apostle Andy Nyeneime,” he said.

Mr Andy was not elected through a congress of the party, he only became chairman through Mr Yarima’s pronouncement before members of the party.

Mr Andy, in his inaugural speech, said YPP came to Akwa Ibom as an alternative party and not an opposition because it will be a platform for the people to challenge the main parties, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC).

He said the party will uphold the tenets of democracy by allowing the people to freely elect those whom they want in 2023.

“We are an alternative party or a third force because of our love for our state.

“Akwa Ibom people deserve the best because we are the best. Our vision is to create a party for Akwa Ibom people to express themselves. We want a party of the people and for the people,” he said.

In July last year, Mr Andy, while addressing journalists in Uyo, said a “third force” would emerge to challenge the PDP and APC if the governor would still insist on foisting his preferred successor on the state.

Governor Emmanuel recently presented his Commissioner for Lands and Water Resources, Umo Eno, as his preferred successor for the 2023 governorship election.

“In the olden days, fathers could choose a wife for their sons but nowadays, the sons have come to realise that it is not their father who will marry the women but themselves. So they have the right to choose who they want to marry. Same goes for leadership.

“We as the youths and women in Akwa Ibom State have a right to choose who should be the next governor of our state, the next senator of our senatorial district and house members.

“Now is the youth O’ clock, I therefore call on the over two million youths and women to rise to their responsibility of choosing who should be their leaders.

“We have the numbers and we need to come together as united people,” he said.