Rumbles in Akwa Ibom government house over Akpabio defection

The planned defection of Senator Goodswill Akpabio from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) is already causing disaffection in his home state of Akwa Ibom, National Daily has gathered.

Akpabio, a former governor of the state recently resigned his position as the minority leader in the senate paving the way for his defection to the APC.

Governor Emmanuel Udom, whom Akpabio installed seems not to be well disposed to the idea of switching party, a source told National Daily.

And to show his displeasure, Udom, National Daily gathered has sacked two of his commissioners, Victor Anti and Ibanga Akpabio, two allies of Goodswill Akpabio.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Charles Udoh, said the two commissioners had to be removed from the State Executive Council for disloyalty to the governor.

Ibanga, who is a younger brother to Sen. Godswill Akpabio was sacked alongside Antai for receiving Akpabio, a former governor of the state and Emmanuel’s predecessor, at the Ibom International Airport on Tuesday.

Akpabio flew into the state preparatory to his plan to defect from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress 9APC).

Udoh said the commissioners had to be removed from the state executive council following their “reluctance to comply with good governance processes.’’

“With the development, they have been mandated to handover to the Permanent Secretary in their respective ministries before close of work on Wednesday August 8,’’ he said.

The commissioner stressed that the duo showed complete disloyalty to Emmanuel and therefore could not continue to remain in the state executive.

Akpabio on Tuesday tendered his resignation as the senate minority leader and will formally defect to All Progressives Congress today

Victor Antai, a former lawmaker in the state, was until his sack the commissioner in charge of culture and tourism.

In a statement released by the Akwa Ibom state government, Anti was sacked because he refused to comply with good governance processes. His sack was signed by the secretary to the state government, Emmanuel Ekuwem, very later on Tuesday, August 7.

The statement said with his sack, Antai is no longer a member of the state’s executive council. He was asked to immediately hand over to the permanent secretary in the ministry before the close of work on Wednesday, August 8.

National Daily gathered that Antai is one of the 11 high profile politicians in the state that would be leaving the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and to join defecting Akpabio in the APC.

Meanwhile, Senator Godswill Akpabio received a hero’s welcome in Akwa Ibom when he arrived in the state ahead of his planned defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).

The former Senate minority leader who is set to move to the APC landed on Tuesday, August 7.

A list of those defecting to the APC in the state with Akpabio has Victor Antai.