Why Akpabio’s Defection may Create Division in APC

Idongesit Ashameri, Uyo

While some social media members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have been jubilating and treating themselves to wild parties in celebration of the final confirmation of Senator Godswill Akpabio’s defection from the PDP, the jubilation does not appear to go deep.

Many foundation members of the party in the state are said to be worried about losing their stakes to Akpabio who is feared to be a lion wherever he goes, while others simply see the defection as a scheme to escape justice and the long arm of the EFCC.

The remark by the immediate past Publicity Secretary of the APC in Akwa Ibom State and Director, Air Worthiness of the Nigerian Aviation, Engr Ita Awak; “I know as a truth that nobody can politically negotiate him/herself out of reach of retributive justice” best explains what is thought to have chased Akpabio out of PDP.

Apart from Ita Awak, other APC faithful who suspect Akpabio’s defection to be on self defense are rather threatened than jubilate. Mr Thomas Tomas, an ardent APC member from the days of ACN on his Facebook page wrote;

“And Lilliputians tiptoed with drums Creating hallelujah for a demon This hooded generation
Clapping instead of picking up pelts Against those monsters that chased them once out of their houses The son of Thomas can’t clap
He has no waist to dance such ekómbi But as for songs, he’ll sing Against the host of demons Whose intention is to enslave us!”

The rumour on the plans by the immediate past Governor of Akwa Ibom State and Senate Minority Leader, Sen Godswill Akpabio had been crawling on the political floor of the state, even as Akpabio and his media handlers had found no reason to refute such rumour.

The last APC rally in Ikot Ekpene was rumoured to have been organized to formerly receive Sen Akpabio into the APC, but the defections of some members of the ruling All Progressives Congress at the National Assembly, and the then planned defection by the Senate President, stalled his speed.

But as one whose ambition, according to Samuel Ajayi on his Facebook post of August 4, 2018, was pushed by a high class political blackmail, Akpabio had no choice than to jump into a waiting ship to avoid humiliation.

Ayaji in his article tagged; Akpabio: The Inside Story of A Dirty and Ruthless Political Blackmail, said;

“Many have been wondering why former Akwa Ibom State governor and Majority Leader-in-waiting, Godswill Akpabio, would want to decamp to the APC. Well the inside story depicts the immorality of the ruling party and the unclean nature of our immediate past. Here is the story: EFCC traced a whooping amount of money (I will keep the figure for now) to Akpabio. In fact, my source said it was his personal account”.

“Instead of inviting Akpabio for questioning, EFCC took the information to APC leadership which clearly showed the political bias of the agency. EFCC (speaking for APC) gave Akpabio two options: decamp APC (alongside with at least a governor from the South-South) and you WALK, stay in PDP, become Majority Leader and you are arrested, harassed and won’t have time to even sit in the Senate till next year”.

“Akpabio begged that it would be political suicidal for him to decamp and given that everyone is leaving APC, what would he give as reason for going the opposite direction and leaving a party whose positive fortunes are on the rise? Akpabio now gave his own options: Let me stay in PDP while I work for you to get 25% from Akwa Ibom in 2019!”

“That’s the point they are now. This is only weapon APC has left: go after PDP governors who are in Senate using EFCC. Harass them and prevent them from decamping or financing the party. Buhari is fighting corruption. Only in the minds of his demented and lost sheep”.

Many who were in Akwa Ibom State and had followed the white elephant projects initiated by the Akpabio’s administration, many of which are yet to see the light of the day due to the unreconcilable billions already pumped into them, would have expected Akpabio to marry the APC or perish.

Apart from his entangled past, the former governor who had constantly branded himself a great teacher may also have been dissatisfied with his ‘students’ decision to flush his political hands to engage more technocrats in his executive council.

This according to a PDP stakeholder who preferred anonymity may have left Akpabio with the feeling of political barrenness as he thought himself not to have had as many insiders to keep him abreast as he would have preferred.

“But I don’t think Akpabio would be very fair to reason this way, because one of his brothers is a commissioner, and many of those he nominated are still serving. I strongly suspect Akpabio wanted more money from Udom, have you not heard the new song he has been singing at political rallies, that ‘you should eat and remain for your brother so that he wouldn’t die of hunger’?

“Akpabio should rather be grateful to Udom Emmanuel, a financial expert who came into power, saw the extent of past theft and waste of the people’s resources, but was rather trying to make things work instead of betraying him. Same Akpabio betrayed, humiliated and impoverished former Governor Attah who made him”.

He recalled the statement by the former Finance Minister, Nkozi Okonjo Iwela, that the so-called uncommon transformation of the Akpabio’s administration was just one percent of the huge allocation enjoyed by the state during Akpabio’s eight years in office.

Special Assistant on Prosecution to President Buhari, Okoi Obono-Obla, had confirmed Akpabio’s defection on his Facebook, Saturday night, that Mr Akpabio will be received into APC on Thursday by the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo and other top leaders of the party at a rally in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom state.

Mr. Obono-Obla also posted on the social media site a photo of Mr Akpabio with an APC leader, Bola Tinubu.