Akwa Ibom State Government, Tuesday, said Senator Godswill Akpabio who defected to All Progressives Congress, APC, was playing God.
This is even as Mr. Udom Emmanuel, state governor, called a bluff that he was unperturbed by his predecessor’s defection to the APC.
He said Akpabio does not have convincing reason for leaving the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, reviling that otherwise many people would have followed him out of the party which brought him fame and fortunes.
Recall that Emmanuel Ekon, representing Abak-Etim Ekpo-Ika Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives; Emmanuel Akpan representing Essien Udim-Ikot Ekpene in the House of Representatives; Etekamba Umoren, the immediate past Secretary to the State Government; Don Etim, ex-Commissioner for Works; Nse Ntuen, member representing Essien Udim State Constituency in Akwa Ibom House of Assembly; Gabriel Toby representing Etim Ekpo-Ika State constituency in the state House of Assemby and Udom Ekpoudom, retired Deputy Inspector-General of Police, among others together with Senator Akpabio defected to All Progressives Congress, APC at Ikot Ekpene Sports Stadium.
Speaking after solidarity visit by local government chairmen, vice chairmen and councillors from the 31 local government areas of the state, Emmanuel noted that every person was entitled to exercise his fundamental human rights and free association.
“The political atmosphere is helping to deepen democratic governance and reinvent the consciousness of the PDP that every member would be proud of.
“I, therefore, urge you to reach out and show love among your kith and kin and to sustain your support for PDP which is the only party that has brought development to the state since the inception of democratic governance.”
Akpabio is playing God
State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Charles Udoh, who stated this, said, “Akpabio’s leaving the party is all about choices. If you talk about respect, Governor Udom Emmanuel is somebody who would not use a foul language on anybody. In public, he calls him sir, my mentor.
“Whosoever God ordained to bring Udom to power was a vessel. So, if you don’t recognise that God has placed you in that position, you are playing God. You cannot play God. If he had a cogent reason, more people would have followed him. After all, he nominated 70 per cent of the members of the executive council.”
Delete Akpabio’s name from ward register
In a statement by Ini Ememobong, the state Publicity Secretary of PDP, to the ward leadership, he said “With the speech by Akpabio announcing his resignation from our great party, the PDP and indicating his immediate membership of the ruling party in the country, the State Executive Committee has directed the ward chairman of our party in Ukana West 2 in Essien Udim LGA of the state to delete his name from the membership register of our party.
“For the few persons (all of whom were his personal staff, relatives or former employees) whom he showcased as co-defectors, their respective ward chairmen are charged to immediately delist them from our register.
“We thank the Senator for showing gratitude to us for making him who he was until his defection, but strongly reject the assertion that the entire members of the National and state assemblies were joining him- that was either a very expensive joke or an outright lie both of which we take serious exceptions to.
“The Speaker and other 25 members of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly are intact, leaving him with the two members whom he introduced on that stage, while the members of the National Assembly are intact except, the Senator’s representative and one other member of the House of Representatives, both of whom are having very heavy return challenges in their constituencies.
“Nigerians are watching keenly to see how the actions of the defectors will match their defection sermon. But did we hear Senator Akpabio well? When he mentioned Tropicana? We hereby demand that Senator Ben Bruce accept the challenge thrown by the former Senate Minority leader to either complete the Ibom Tropicana or give reasons why it cannot be completed, in addition to why it took so long.
“’We live in very interesting times and our political scene has become a huge theatre. We are watching the dramatis personae and will be glad to play back today, many years into the future.”
Over 200 APC members in Oron join PDP
Welcoming the decampees, the state PDP chairman, Obong Paul Ekpo, said the exercise was a testimony to the fact whatever was happening in the state and country, the PDP was party to beat in 20129. “The party is a religion for the people of the state and by extension, Nigerians,” he said.
Ekpo said, “The PDP’s commitment to the provision of good governance as demonstrated by the governor should stimulate all well-meaning Akwa Ibom people to vote for the governor in 2019 so as he continues in his good works.”
The party boss thanked the party leaders in the federal constituency or their loyalty and steadfastness to the PDP, the decampess for returning to their base having realized their mistakes, calming that, the PDP was the only party for anybody to seek for elective office without rancour.
In her remarks, the former Minister for Housing and Urban Renewal, Akon Eyakenyi, thanked the party for accepting the decampees and assured the chairman that, Oro nation would vote PDP for 2019.
Earlier, the Oron chapter chairman of PDP, Mr. Murphy Esin, had assured the state chairman of the party that, the federal constituency would not disappoint the PDP, noting that, those that left the party before have leant from their mistakes and would guide against repeat of such actions.
Some of the returnees include, Alice Ekpenyong, former House of Assembly member for Mbo, Remigius Asuquo, Sunday Ating, Asuquo Anwana and Victor Anwanakak, among others.
