The country’s polity is currently bedevilled by political somersaults occasioned by a bout of defections by some politicians in some political parties.
While some political gladiators are defecting to other political parties, other key players are returning to their parties to re-strategise for winning ahead of the 2019 general elections.
Talks are being intensified to woo a member of Board of Trustees, BOT, of All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Don Obot Etiebet (Atuekong Annang) to Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Akwa Ibom State to further boost the chances of the party being rattled by the exit of Akpabio, Straightnews has learnt.
The talks are alleged to be coordinated by some government officials and some close family members of Atuekong to seal the deal of him returning to the party.
Following the APC’s grand fair Wednesday at the Ikot Ekpene Township Stadium which heralded the grand reception of Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio to the All Progressives Congress, some of the party’s bigwigs are said to be ruffled by some developments at the state chapter of APC.
For instance, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Leader APC (Jagaban Borgu) had declared Akpabio, the leader of APC in Akwa Ibom State.
The pronouncement was collaborated by Adams Oshiomhole, the National Chairman of APC that Senator Akpabio is now the leader while Akpabio had earlier proclaimed his wife, Unoma Ekaete as the state women’s leader of the party.
Straightnews learnt that until Wednesday, Etiebet was known to be the Leader of Akwa Ibom State Caucus of APC.
Though his absence at the epochal event was obvious to many political pundits and watchers, our investigation found that he is currently overseas because of a previously planned family engagement.
However, Straightnews gathered from the family of Etiebet that the septuagenarian is alleged to begin talks with Governor Udom Gabriel Emmanuel on his return to PDP.
The source told Straightnews ‘’Etiebet had expressed through another media outlet prior to the event that it will be a pleasant surprise if the defection was consummated.
‘’But what he never anticipated was decorating Akpabio with the garland of leader of APC in Akwa Ibom State. So, he may be feeling betrayed by the handlers of President Muhammadu Buhari, whom he had stood by for 30 months during the post 2003 election petition process against his personal comfort.
‘’However, it is believed that Etiebet, an indigene of Oruk Anam local government area is an in-law to Governor Udom, (his wife being an indigene of the area too), he may consider to repair their relationship since he was Chairman at Udom’s marriage some years ago.’’
Yet, another source expressed fear that Etiebet never spoke well of Udom who used to solicit his support when he was canvassing for votes during the first term in office and at different political rallies, he used to be lampooning Governor Emmnauel as well as Senator Akpabio who defected to APC Wednesday.
The source further confided in Straightnews that ‘’the return of the one-time BOT member of PDP to the party was not a guarantee that he may brighten the party’s fortune vis a vis enhance its electoral value both at the state and at the national levels.’’
However, efforts to talk to Atuekong Etiebet were unsuccessful.
