Connect with us
Advertisement

Politics

APC Chieftains Disagree Over Value Of Akpabio’s Defection

Published

on

Judge Me By My Performance As Governor Not As Minister – Akpabio
Advertisement

APC Chieftain Believes Buhari Will Win Irrespective Of Defection

Patrick Ekpotu, a former Akwa Ibom State Deputy Governor, and Akinlayo Kolawole, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State, have disagreed over the value added to the party over the recent defection of Senator Godswill Akpabio from the Peoples Democratic Party.

Ekpotu, stated that the celebration of the defection of the former minority leader in the Senate was overrated.

He said the defection was just a sign that the former governor was incapable of operating within an opposition ground.

Advertisement

Ekpotu made the revelation, on Monday in a statement released to journalists.

He claimed that Akpabio only defected to APC because the party is the current custodian of state apparatus, which he usually relied on.

He said, “Akpabio’s recourse is often to rely heavily on apparatus of state security to cow people into submission and dominion.

Advertisement

“His decision to embrace the APC now, among others, is because the APC is today the custodian of that state apparatus.”

Ekpotu claimed that a rude shock awaited Akpabio in his new party.

He said, “A journey into that past rather evokes disdain and repugnance following its glaring shortcomings to which the people had long answered objections and cannot allow a replay, no matter where Akpabio derived his inspiration.

Advertisement
Advertisement

“I see, not just the PDP in the state, but also the majority of its citizens playing this out strongly, stoutly, and committedly in days ahead.

While reacting to the comparison between Akpabio and Senate President, Bukola Saraki’ defections, the former deputy governor argued that, “In Saraki’s Kwara, his ancestors may have left behind many distinctions to give him a dominating hold on that state and their people cherish it.

“Unfortunately, it is not so in Akwa Ibom where no such commensurate wand is inspired, be it in depth, attainments, legacies and fairness.”

Kolawole in his own view claimed that the defection of Akpabio has neutralised the effect of the defection of the like of Saraki, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Aminu Tambuwal and others from APC.

He stated that the recent defection from the APC would not stop President Muhammadu Buhari from winning in the 2019 general election.

He argued that the President’s fate to be re-elected will be decided by Nigerian electorate and not by politicians who left the party.

He said, “The whole world, with the exemption of the gullible ones, know that the trio of Saraki, Kwankwaso and Governor Tambuwal are desperate to be President of this nation. But it was sad that they had refused to learn from history that no desperado had ever ruled Nigeria as a President.

“Former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan got to the seat through divine intervention at different times. Even President Buhari contested three times for the exalted position but lost out. He only won in 2015 after he was persuaded by Nigerians to lead them to the Promised Land, when it was obvious that the PDP had ruined the country.

“Far from the foregoing, Nigerians are desirous of having a President that has the passion to confront poverty, corruption and insurgency and only President Buhari has these antecedents among the contending forces for the race, not even Saraki or any other person has such records in his political career.