Economic, business and vehicular activities were literally shutdown in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital as the National and State leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and supporters of the former Senate minority Leader, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, on Wednesday trooped out in their numbers to witness and welcome him into the party officially after denouncing his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The venue of the mega rally, Ikot Ekpene Township stadium was filled to the brim with many struggling to catch a glimpse of the activities in the stadium.
Akpabio while speaking at the event pledged to take the people of Akwa Ibom state and the South South to the centre for meaningful visibilty.
The 55-year-old former governor of Akwa Ibom formally defected from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Congress (APC) at a mega rally held at the Ikot Ekpene township stadium.
He told the huge crowd that he decided to join APC because he discovered that President Muhammadu Buhari “is a man of integrity and a nationalist’’.
Akpabio said that he decided to join a party that would sweep away poverty and impunity. He said that he joined APC to help salvage the country.
“The country is at war and all the hands must be on deck to salvage the situation and not to aggravate it.
“As keepers of national emergency, everyone should put heads together. I decided to join to emancipate the people and provide succour for the people.’’
He said that the PDP of today has no vision and the leadership is replete with arrogance.
Earlier, the Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NNDC), Mr. Nsima Ekere, said that change had come to Akwa Ibom and SouthSouth.
Ekere stated that Akwa Ibom has joined the progressive states because the people were dissatisfied with the long misrule of the PDP.
He said that Akpabio built the people and provided them with infrastructure but the present PDP government was a failure.
Ekere said that the people have agreed to re-elect President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, has described as unfortunate the decision of the former Senate minority leader, Godswill Akpabio, to join the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He claimed that the senator, who is also a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, has walked against the tide and endangered his political career.
Mr Secondus said this in a statement issued by his Media Aide, Ike Abonyi, on Wednesday in Abuja.
Mr Akpabio was received into the APC fold at an impressive ceremony at the Ikot Ekpene township stadium. The ceremony was attended by many bigwigs of the APC, including the national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole; national leader, Bola Tinubu; governors and senators of the APC.
Mr Secondus said he found it strange that Mr Akpabio would dump the PDP to join the APC, which he described as ‘a sinking ship’, which every other person is finding his way out of.
The PDP Chairman said whatever caused Akpabio’s action must have been triggered by self preservation and not borne out of any rational strategic political thinking.
According to Mr Secondus, Mr Akpabio’s decision did not enjoy the blessing of the people of Akwa Ibom whose mandate he enjoyed for eight years as state governor and nearly four years now as a senator.
”I cannot fathom any reason why on earth Sen. Akpabio should work against the tide, moving at opposite direction to a place reasonable persons are escaping from.
“How on earth can anybody who has his eyes wide open be seen walking into danger knowingly.”
Mr Secondus accused APC of arm twisting and intimidating people into it fold “ostensibly to ruin and disintegrate the person involved.”
He called on the people of Akwa Ibom to be wise and know when to turn their back from a leader directing them to danger.
”I urge you to remain focused and continue to give support to your hard working governor His Excellency Emmanuel Udom as he remains unrelenting in the delivering of democracy to the people,” he said.(NAN)
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