Akanimo Udofia, a Nigerian multimillionaire businessman and leading industrialist, has won the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary in Akwa Ibom.
All Progressives Congress is one of Nigeria’s two major contemporary political parties.
Udofia is the owner of Desicon Engineering, a 4,000-employee Nigeria-based firm that provides engineering, procurement, and construction services to clients in the oil and gas industry.
According to Omoba Tunde Ajibulu, the chairman of the election committee, Udofia received 1,227 votes out of 1,313 accredited delegates, beating out eight other candidates, including a serving lawmaker, Ita Enang, who received 34 votes, and a Nigerian professor, Chris Ekong, who received 21 votes.
While commenting on the recently concluded primary, which was initially delayed due to protests and logistics issues, Udofia extended his hand to competing candidates and promised to carry everyone along as he party looks toward winning Akwa Ibom in the 2023 general elections.
“I want to say that this is the beginning of a revolution,” he said. “The Akwa Ibom APC has spoken very loudly, You have indicated that true change will come to Akwa Ibom State come 2023. You have agreed that we are going to use our great party, the APC, to institutionalize the dividends of democracy, and it must cascade down to the last ward, to the last corner.”
“We are going to build a greater Akwa Ibom State,” he added. “It is going to be an enormous task, but when I look at the resilience of each and every one of you party faithful, I know you are ready to join hands with me, and together we are going to make Akwa Ibom a greater and better state.”
Prior to becoming interested in politics, Udofia worked as an oil and gas executive while also volunteering for a variety of local and international nonprofit and charitable organizations.
He is presently a supporter of Roots Medical Mission, a healthcare initiative that sends medical professionals to various parts of Nigeria to provide treatment.
Udofia is a supporter of the Akwa Ibom Water Project, a program dedicated to providing clean water to underserved areas of Nigeria’s Akwa Ibom state, as well as the London Eastsiders Young Leaders Academy, which empowers Caribbean and African boys living in London.
He also contributed $150,000 to help fund residential development programs in Toronto, Canada.
