Akpabio’s playing God, says Akwa Ibom govt

Akwa Ibom State government has taken Senator Godswill Akpabio to the cleaners over his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing him as playing God.


The government stated that Akpabio does not have convincing reason for leaving the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) otherwise many people would have followed him out of the party which brought him fame and fortunes.

Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Charles Udoh, who stated this, said: ‘’Akpabio’s leaving the party is all about choices. If you talk about respect, Governor Udom Emmanuel is somebody would not use a foul language on anybody. In public, he calls him sir, my mentor.

‘’Whosoever God ordained to bring Udom to power was a vessel. So, if you don’t recognize that God has placed you in that position, you are playing God. You cannot play God. If he had a cogent reason more people will have followed him. After all, he nominated 70 per cent of the members of the executive council’’.

Meanwhile, the State Chapter has urged the ward Chairman of Ukana West 2 and other wards to delete the name of Senator Akpabio and others who defected with him to the APC from the registers of the party.

Besides, the party has also resolved to commence legal action to activate the provision of section 68 of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria (1999 as amended) as it relates to the erring legislators.

In a statement signed by the State Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP , Ini Ememobong, titled “Good bye Sen. Godswill Akpabio” urged the respective ward chairmen to delist also those Akpabio showcased as co-defectors.

The statement reads: ‘’With the speech of H.E Sen.Godswill Akpabio announcing his resignation from our great party, The People’s Democratic Party and indicating his immediate membership of the ruling party in the country, The State Executive Committee has directed the ward chairman of our party in Ukana West 2 in Essien Udim local government area to delete his name from the membership register of our party.

‘’For the few persons (all of whom were his personal staff, relatives or former employees) whom he showcased as co-defectors, their respective ward chairmen are charged to immediately delist them from our register.

‘’We thank the Senator for showing gratitude to us for making him who he was until his defection, but strongly reject the assertion that the entire members of the National and state assemblies were joining him- that was either a very expensive joke or an outright lie,both of which we take serious exceptions to.

‘’The Speaker and other 24 members of the Akwa Ibom state House of Assembly are intact, leaving him with the two members whom he introduced on that stage, while the members of the National Assembly are intact except, the senator’s representative and one other Member of the House of Representatives, both of whom are having very heavy return challenges in their constituencies.

‘’Nigerians are watching keenly to see how the actions of the defectors will match their defection sermon. But did we hear Senator Akpabio well? When he mentioned Tropicana? We hereby demand that Senator Ben Bruce accept the challenge thrown by the former Senate Minority leader to either complete the Ibom Tropicana or give reasons why it cannot be completed, in addition to why it took so long.

‘’We live in very interesting times and our political scene has become a huge theatre. We are watching the dramatis personae and will be glad to play back today, many years into the future.’’