Senator Godswill Akpabio has dispelled as unfounded, rumours making rounds that he defected to All Progressives Congress, APC, to save him from Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, arrest and detention.
Akpabio, the immediate past governor of Akwa Ibom State, defected from Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to APC on August 8 at Ikot Ekpene Stadium in a colourful ceremony attended by Alhaji Bola Tinubu, the APC national leader and Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, the APC national Chairman, among others.
Speaking with Leadership correspondent in Lagos last week, Akpabio, the immediate past Senate Minority Leader, said the person who wrote the petitions against him later discovered that there were allegations, and he had to withdraw the petitions since there was no evidence.
The Senator said, “If Godswill Akpabio, the former governor of Akwa Ibom state so much loved by his people decides that he is going to APC it means that thousands of Akwa Ibom people who believed in him were impressed by his uncommon transformation is also going along with him.
“When I was declaring for the APC I did not give an invitation to anybody but didn’t you see a thousand of heads that is actually the effect of Godswill Akpabio defecting coming to your question about defecting because of APC; in fact, as I am going back now the law firm that wrote a petition against me to the EFCC just gave me an award in BON hotel.”
According to him, “The reality is that the head of the firm was being used and then realise that those allegations did not carry any atom of evidence and so he withdrew his petition before the EFCC. The boy went and swore an affidavit in the court that he was withdrawing the petition voluntarily.
“So, there is nothing like me defecting because of EFCC harassment if I wanted to leave PDP because of EFCC harassment rather I would have said no that I won’t do that because of the former governor Darius who left from PDP and went to APC. Where is he today?
“Unfortunately, he was jailed even though his case is on appeal and also a lot of people who have left and have corruption cases are still answering so if somebody saw such an experience will you want to run into APC because it is not a sanctuary for you to hide.”
The Senator stated “So, I don’t think people should link movement with either ticket or EFCC because some people do things on the basis of their personal conviction so I was a ticket giver in the PDP so I actually come from a senatorial a district that my people have a lot of respect for me and them even show it.
“The entire opposition in Akwa Ibom state, APC was formed against me as a governor so when I went there they were overjoyed it was like reconciliation and they honored me. There were about two people who bought forms for Senate, I also bought a form for the Senate and the two persons stepped down to honor me so I was unopposed. In the PDP nobody would have buy form against me in my senatorial district.”
