As Akpabio visits Buhari, Akwa Ibom APC kicks against Senator’s speculated defection from PDP

– Some members of the ruling APC in Akwa Ibom state have petitioned thenational chairman of the party over speculations of Senator Akpabio’s defection

– The APC members warned of the impending dangers of defection of Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom state to the APC

– According to the APC members, Akpabio who they described as someone seeking asylum in the APC had earlier called President Buhari unprintable names during the 2015 election campaign

Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday, August 5, kicked against the speculated defection of the minority leader of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio.

The party members under the aegis of Akwa Ibom Progressives Watch petitioned the national chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, warning on the impending dangers of defection of Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom state to the APC.

In a letter dated August 3, and addressed to the APC national chairman, the group said it has noted with deep concern the broad chorus of disapproval and complete despondency among different strata of members of the APC in Akwa Ibom state over the defection of Akpabio to the party.

The letter endorsed by Innocent Sylvanus, Chairman and Ubong Victor, Secretary, reads in part: “Our group is an integrity watch team whose support for the APC is driven by the party’s change agenda, the fight against corruption as well as the near immaculate personality of the leader of the Party, President Muhammadu Buhari.”

“We metamorphosed from Ibom Transparency Watch under the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), working assiduously in the last seven years to entrench in the party sterling values, such as integrity, justice, accountability and transparency, which are lacking in our political system,” the letter said.

The APC group also said it has been on the watch so that such persons with tendencies which violate these values are not found tip-toeing around our party.

The group said it is saddening that most members of the APC in Akwa Ibom state who looked up to our party as institution that will evict moral pervers as the Senator from position of authority, by the admission of Senator Godswill Akpabio into the party.

The letter also describing Akpabio as someone seeking asylum in the APC had earlier called President Buhari unprintable names during the 2015 election campaign.

It said: “He ordered the immediate closure of the Ibom Airport on the day Buhari, who was then the presidential flag – bearer of our party visited Akwa Ibom state.”

“After our President won the 2015 election despite all their antics, Akpabio encouraged former President Goodluck Jonathan to challenge Buhari’s election victory in court. Senator Akpabio’s records of service show he is a spoiler everywhere he goes.

“In his first organisation of employment, EMIS Telecoms Nigeria Limited, Akpabio was Personal Assistant to the CEO of the company, Chief E. Okonkwo; suddenly he manipulated his boss and threw himself up as the company’s secretary.

“During his stint in that position, the company was defrauded to the tune of N4billion. Records suggest Akpabio was party to the fraud and must have benefited from the loot,” it said.

The group further informed Oshiomhole that Akpabio polarized ethnicity to its zenith in his bid to annihilate the Ibibio majority, and destroy the Oro ethnic nationality, when he was governor of Akwa Ibom state.

It said: In that mindless voyage, more than 80 prominent sons and daughters of the state were either kidnapped or killed; many were compelled to go on exile.

“Under Akpabio’s watch, an elder statesman, Genera; Edet Akpan Rtd., former DG of NYSC was kidnapped from a church. Four persons were killed during that operation.

“The wife of a BoT member of our party, Mrs. Sam Enwang, was kidnapped; the wife of Senator Aloysius Etok, who is now a stakeholder of our party was also kidnapped; Chief Senas Ukpanah was killed; a former deputy speaker of our state House of Assembly and member of the APC, Obong Okon Uwah was killed; mother of Mr. Udonwa, a governorship aspirant was kidnapped, killed and her naked corpse was dumped on the road, forcing the deceased’s son to dump his governorship ambition; a foremost traditional father, Edidem Ime Robert from Nsit Ubium was assassinated; an entrepreneur, Elder Paul Inyang was killed; three brothers called the Mbota brothers were killed; three brother to the televangelist Mrs. Helen Ukpabio were killed. The list of assassinations under Akpabio’s atrocious regime is endless” the group stated.

“Your Excellency, you may wish to call for report on Akpabio’s wild intolerance for our party members in Akwa Ibom State during his reign as governor.

“It is on record that Akpabio’s men masterminded the awful murder of 11 supporters of the defunct ACN in 2011 that were on a campaign visit to Ikot Ekpene.

“You must have heard of the bare-face manipulation of the 2015 election in Akwa Ibom State against our party, by Senator Godswill Akpabio; or how Akpabio bragged on a state radio that he cross off the name of the winner of the PDP primary in Ikot Ekpene senatorial district in 2011 and replaced it with the name of Senator Aloysius Etok,” the letter added.

The news about Akpabio’s possible defection has also dampened the celebration mood in the PDP headquarters over the recent defection of some senators and three governors from the APC.

The reports noted that the Senate minority leader has already dumped the PDP and will officially announce his defection on Thursday, August 9 while Nigeria’s acting president, Prof Yemi Osibanjo, will be at Ikot Ekpene stadium to receive him.