Violence: Akwa Ibom People Will React With A Resounding Victory For APC- Akpabio

Former Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, on Wednesday in Abuja, said that the answer of the people of Akwa Ibom State would give to the   lies, outright falsehood and sponsored violence by the state government against APC members, would be a resounding victory of the party at the polls in February, 2019.

Akpabio stated this while speaking with news men at the National Assembly, shortly after Plenary.

A release from the media office of the Senator quoted him as saying, " my people will answer the PDP- led government  in my state with a resounding victory over the PDP  in February. I dont know of your own states, but I know of my state. "

Akpabio, who was reacting to an allegation by Senator Bassey Albert, that the  state chapter of the APC was planning to disrupt elections in the state, challenged him to produce evidence of plans, saying" what evidence has Senator Albert on the alleged plan by the APC to use Federal might to win or disrupt  the February elections in Akwa Ibom State?"

The  action of Akpan, he noted, " was simply the  aggressor playing the role of the victim. I believe strongly that there is no evidence to proove such spurious allegation as raised by the PDP senator."

"Since my defection to the APC in August, there have been massive movements from PDP to APC in the state. It was that spurious and unfounded allegation that I wanted to react to on the floor of the Senate, before I was interrupted." Akpabio disclosed.

Speaking further, Akpabio noted that " I can tell you today that even though the government in Akwa Ibom State is PDP, the voters are 80 percent APC. "

He revealed that , "it is actually the PDP that is causing insecurity in the state and not APC, because in the very recent past, a lot of government appointees had resigned from office, thereby, causing instability and fear in the government, hence the recent attacks on them."

Akpabio listed, the various  attempts on the life of a former aide of the governor on Electoral Matter, Barrister Mfon, less than 24 hours after he granted an interview to Thisday newspaper, where he revealed  that over 200 of the governor's aides would soon resign and join the APC. 

He also made mention of attacks on his Ukana residence few days after his defection, attacks on the residence of the the MD NDDC, Obong Nsima Ekere, a day after his emergence as the APC governorship candidate, not forgetting attacks on his former aide on Dispora Matters, Mr Clement Ikpatt, for being critical of the Emmanuel-led administration." All these attacks, he stated had been reported to the state police command and other security agencies and investigations are  ongoing".

Akpabio called on his colleagues, in the National Assembly to use the platform for the betterment of Nigerians, saying," let us use the platform of the Senate to discuss national issues that would be beneficial to generality of Nigerians  and not trivial things that you have no proof of. I believe strongly that it is not he, who reports to the Police first that wins a case, but through the thorough and careful investigation of the matter by the police and other security operatives, that the truth would be unveiled," he said.

Senator  Akpabio advised those who defected from one political party to another to borrow a leaf from him as a former minority leader, saying he honourably resigned the position when he defected from PDP to APC to pave way for PDP to elect their minority leader.

“It’s a tradition all over the world that when you defected to another party even as a Senate President like Saraki did, to resign from the office of the Senate President.

“APC is still the majority party and they need to form a new leadership. The Senate President should honourably resign just like I did,” Mr Akpabio insisted.

Speaking further on his experiences as a member of the APC, he said, he was fulfilled being a member of a ruling party, adding that he defected to the APC in national interest.

He further explained that his advice and suggestions must not be looked at with suspicion being a part of the ruling party now.

He came hard on his former party, PDP for doing nothing in the South-South in the last 16 years, adding that PDP government did not construct a kilometre of road for those years.

“Having moved from PDP to APC, I felt fulfilled. My advice and suggestions in the national interest would not be looked upon with suspicion by the government in power again.

“I moved to APC in national interest. I don’t believe in bringing government into being and will not support that government to succeed.

“In the last 16 years, I did not see one kilometre of road done by PDP government in Akwa  Ibom state, but today, APC government is constructing the road from Akwa Ibom to Calabar.

“The road has been a death trap and I must thank this government for that.

“From the national and local perspectives, people look at me as a leader and I must tell you that in 2019, it would be difficult for any other party to penetrate the South-South."

Nsima Ekere’s Ground Swelling Support From Mkpat Enin...As Otobong Edem Leads Others Into APC

In a major realignment of forces in Mkpat Enin, one of the largest local government areas in Akwa Ibom State, the member representing the area in the House of Assembly, Engr. Otobong Ndem, last Tuesday, defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives' Congress, (APC,) with hundreds of his supporters.

Ndem announced his defection when he led a delegation of his supporters in several buses on a solidarity visit to the Akwa Ibom State APC gubernatorial candidate, Obong Nsima Ekere, at the latter's country home in Ikot Oboroenyin, Edemaya, Ikot Abasi Local Government Area of the state.

Among the defectors on the delegation were the Mkpat Enin PDP Local Government Chapter Deputy Chairman, Mr. Ukonsek Ukonsek, the Secretary, Comrade Ubong Kingsley, the Youth Leader, Mr. Ime Inoh, and some other members of the Chapter Executive Committee, a former Chapter Chairman, Chief Friday Ayara, a former Chapter Secretary, Comrade Umoren Umoren, a former Member of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Ini Brown Ekanem, a former Chairman of Mkpat Enin Local Government, Dr. Imowo Udobia, a former Vice Chairman of the local government, Mr. Godwin Udofot, and a former Leader of the Local Government Legislative Council, Mr. Friday Okobo. 

Ndem said at the colourful and largely unprecedented event, that with his defection and those of his followers, the PDP structure in Mkpat Enin, the local government area with the highest number of wards (14) in the state, had collapsed totally into the APC and the result will materialize in the emergence of Ekere as the next governor of Akwa Ibom state.

He assured Ekere of huge votes from the area, saying, "With the votes of Mkpat Enin, you will be strolling into Hilltop Mansion. We believe in you because you are one of our own. We have no reason not to support you. We are here because we see the future of Akwa Ibom State. We want to end tortoise politics in Akwa Ibom State.

We are not prepared to support you from behind. We are not ready to play submarine politics. We are ready to support you openly." Also speaking, Ukonsek described their delegation as the "crack team" of Mkpat Enin politics, promising that "we will show the world that we own Mkpat Enin" when they hold a formal defection ceremony at home soon. Responding, Nsima Ekere expressed delight that the wind of change had reached Mkpat Enin which shares the federal constituency with his local government area, Ikot Abasi. 

He reasoned that at the rate the wind of change was spreading across the state, the APC was heading for a 90 per cent win in the 2019 elections. Ekere, who is the incumbent Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), pointed out that there were several ongoing NDDC projects in Mkpat Enin under his watch and promised to do more for the area as NDDC boss and subsequently as Governor.

In her remarks, the immediate past Deputy Governor of the state, Lady Valerie Ebe, who defected to the APC last month, commended Ndem for acting in wisdom and courage, adding that she saw it coming. Her words, "Right from the day I defected, I knew this would happen.

I am not surprised. When I left, I knew you will all follow me. The people of Mkpat Enin are itching to support you (Ekere). Nobody should call himself a political junction. We have to follow a straight line." Ebe rejected claims that she was supporting Ekere to be Governor to enable her succeed him as NDDC boss, "I am working for the success of my son (Ekere) here. I am not looking for position. We don't want any position." 

The APC Akwa Ibom South Senatorial Chairman, Dr. Inyang Dan-Abia, who represented the State Chairman, said he was impressed with the quality of members of the delegation who he described as foot-soldiers that have determined Mkpat Enin politics over the years. 

He lauded them for coming to support Ekere, who he eulogized as "a world-class successful businessman and administrator and a man who is well-exposed in the management of resources." 

Present during the visit were the APC Deputy Gubernatorial Candidate, Dr. Amadu Attai, the APC House of Assembly Candidate for Mkpat Enin State Constituency, Prince Iboro Ekpo, the APC State Assistant Legal Adviser, Barr. Inyang Udo, the Mkpat Enin APC Caucus Chairman, Apostle John Okoriko, the Special Assistant to the NDDC Managing Director on Administration and Human Resources, Pastor Udo Isaiah, the immediate past Member of the House of Representatives for Ikot Abasi/Eastern Obolo/Mkpat Enin Federal Constituency, Dr. Akpan Micah Umoh, and a former Chairman of Ikot Abasi Local Government, Prince Enobong Ufot.