Akpabio faces fresh crisis

• Akwa Ibom APC rejects his defection, petitions Oshiomhole

The Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio whose defection plan from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has been making wave in teh polity in the past 72 hours is facing fresh crisis with APC members expected to welcome the senators at the mega rally in ikot Ekpene on Thursday. Akpabio may be defecting into crisis zone awaiting his arrival. This is not unconnected with the vehement opposition of APC members the state under the aegis of Akwa Ibom Progressives Watch, who have petitioned APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, warning of the impending dangers of defection of former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio to the APC.

National Daily gathered that in a letter dated August 3, 2018, to the APC national chairman, the group complained that it has noted with deep concern the broad chorus of disapproval and complete despondency amongst different strata of members of the APC in Akwa Ibom State over the defection of Akpabio to the party.

The letter signed by Innocent Sylvanus, Chairman, and Ubong Victor, Secretary, read in part: “Our group is an integrity watch team whose support for the APC is driven by the party’s change agenda, the fight against corruption as well as the near immaculate personality of the leader of the Party, President Muhammadu Buhari.

“We metamorphosed from Ibom Transparency Watch under the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), working assiduously in the last seven years to entrench in the party sterling values, such as integrity, justice, accountability and transparency, which are lacking in our political system.

“Hence, we have been on the watch so that such persons with tendencies which violate these values are not found tip-toeing around our party.

“For this reason, we feel sad, so are most members of the APC in Akwa Ibom State who looked up to our party as institution that will evict moral perverse as Senator Godswill Akpabio from position of authority, by the admission of Senator Godswill Akpabio into our party.

“Senator Akpabio who is now seeking asylum in the APC called our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari, very unprintable names during the 2015 electioneering.

“He ordered the immediate closure of the Ibom Airport on the day Buhari, who was then the presidential flag – bearer of our party visited Akwa Ibom State.

“After our President won the 2015 election despite all their antics, Akpabio encouraged former President Goodluck Jonathan to challenge Buhari’s election victory in court.”

The group informed Oshiomhole that Akpabio polarised ethnicity to its zenith in his bid to annihilate the Ibibio majority, and destroyed the Oro ethnic nationality, when he was governor of Akwa Ibom State.