The name of Chief Archibong Akpan, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholder, found in the party’s delegates’ list of Akwa Ibom State, generated uproar among some members, findings by Straightnews have shown.
Akpan popularly known as Apex from Utu Ikot Ekpo served as the political leader of Ekpo Ekpo Local Government Area for several years.
He exited the earth more than eight months ago and was buried in December 2020 in his country home in Etim Ekpo.
However, Akpan’s name was discovered to be among the delegates upon publication of the list for the South-South Zonal Convention in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
In an interview with Straightnews on Wednesday, March 10, Borono Bassey, the state PDP Publicity Secretary, confirmed that though the name was found in the delegates’ list used for the election of PDP zonal executive officers, PDP had struck it off.
Mr. Bassey who has returned from the party’s Zonal Convention in Port Harcourt admitted that the list came from the National Headquarters of the party, not from the state party.
”When we discovered it, we crossed off the name to avoid generating bad blood among our members,’’ he noted.
On the exclusion of the name of Hon. Idorenyin Umoh, a one-time member of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly and Deputy Speaker in the second assembly from the delegates’ list, he admitted that the exclusion might have been a fault, not deliberate act by the party.
The state PDP Publicity chief confirmed that he did not see Umoh, who represented Ibiono Ibom State Constituency, at the just-ended zonal convention.
On the exclusion of Hon. Jerome Isangedighi, ex-Majority Leader in state House of Assembly from the list, Bassey could not confirm if he was still a PDP member.
On the inclusion of Hon. Ini Ikot, member for Onna State Constituency and Hon. Ernest Ukpong, member for Etim Ekpo/Ika State Constituency who were ANPP principal officers in the second Akwa Ibom House of Assembly but now PDP stalwarts in the list, he said there was no fuss about that, though they were nominated during the convention as National delegates of the party.
