Trail Reporters
As the Senate Minority Leader in the National Assembly, Godswill Akpabio defects to the All Progressives Congress(APC) on Wednesday, August 8, 2018, Trail Reporters can authoritatively report that, the moves to get Akpabio to cross to the APC was hatched in March 2017, soon after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), had began a thorough investigation on the activities of the former Governor, acting on the petition, which Leo Ekpeyong had summited to the EFCC.
Our findings shows that, there were allegations that Leo Ekpeyong was offered N500million by Akpabio to withdraw the petitions from the Commission, which the EFCC had rejected such moves.
EFCC’s inability to get documents from the Akwa Ibom State Government, led to their opening of a Zonal Office in Uyo, to enable the Commission monitor things, and identify who they could possibly work with in the Government, to aid their probe of the former helmsman.
Even though his successor had shielded him enough from probe, Akpabio had alleged that his people of Ikot Ekpene district were marginalized, and had accused and the Governor that he wasn’t executing projects in Ikot Ekpene. This, Trail Reporters gathered, was a smokescreen to accuse Governor Udom and pave way for his actual defection. Some of his supporters say, he has been promised the senate leadership, which is not true.
Top sources in the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and Akwa Ibom Government House, who spoke with our Reporters said, Akpabio’s men in the government will be dropped, to make way for core loyalists of the Governor and new entrants to the PDP to come on board.
Top on the list is the State Deputy Governor, whom sources said, will be dropped, to return the Deputy Governorship slot to Uyo Senatorial district, which was truncated by Akpabio in the wee moments of his exit as Governor in 2015. Meanwhile, the Member representing Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika Federal Constituency, Emmanuel Ekon is to defect alongside Akpabio on Wednesday, due to his perceived inability to secure the PDP ticket in 2019.
Akpabio and Ekon investigation reveals, were to defect to the APC last week, when some National Assembly members from APC defected to the PDP, but the move was put on hold, to perfect their entrant, which led to a last minute meeting between Akpabio and the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, last week, to seal the deal.
Some Commissioners like Victor Antai, Special Assistants, and others perceived to be loyal to Akpabio, who carry the toga of the former Governor will be shown the exit. A source was quoted as saying.
Some PDP Chieftains have argued that Akpabio should go, and he will be retired from politics the way Akpabio retired Attah. Udom should take full charge of the Party in the State, and restructure everything to accommodate more persons. An Elder of the PDP said in Eket.
There is also unsettlement in the camp of APC, as the party Chieftains have received the news of his defection with mixed feelings. The senate minority Leader, is to be named the Leader of the Party in Akwa Ibom State, leading the likes of Senator Udoedehe, Nsima, Umana and his estranged political foes. A former APC Spokesman in the State, Engr.Ita Awak took to his Facebook page saying, “I know of a truth that nobody can politically negotiate him/herself out of the reach of retributive justice.” apparently referring at the expected defection of the former Governor.
There are insinuations that some APC Chieftains in Akwa Ibom, have vowed never to be in the same party with Akpabio, which will see them defecting to PDP to teem up with Udom Emmanuel.
