2019: Senator Akpabio, Nkanga disagree over support base in A’Ibom

Former military governor of Akwa Ibom state, Air Commodore (Otuekong) Idongesit Nkanga has challenged Senator Godswill Akpabio on who has the greatest support base between him and Governor Udom Emmanuel.

Senator Akpabio as guest on a Channel’s TV interview platform ‘the Roadmap’ was quoted to have said that Akwa Ibom people would follow him as they were happy with him over his recent defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The former senate minority leader also claimed that over 25,000 people thronged the Ikot Ekpene stadium to witness and register their support for him at defection rally last month and maintained that the crowd was a clear indication that the people are on his side.

However, in a swift reaction to Akpabio’s claims, Nkanga, who is also the Director-General of the Divine Mandate Campaign Organisation for the re-election of Governor Emmanuel at the weekend told reporters that Akpabio’s support base has dwindled irredeemably since his defection to the APC.

He said “Because of feelings of betrayals and insincerity from Senator Akpabio, most people have deserted him, while the Governor Emmanuel’s support base in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has increased astronomically.

“When you see people changing back and forth it speaks on their followership; definitely their followership will start dwindling because people will feel betrayed and say didn’t he think about it”.

The ex-MILAD disclosed that those who left the PDP because of Akpabio are coming back in droves to lend their support for the re-election of Governor Emmanuel.

“Those that had left PDP because they were angry with Akpabio are joyfully coming back; I see Emmanuel winning his second term very clearly and by that time he (Akpabio) will know that God gave him the victory and not any human being”, Nkanga stressed.

He also slammed Akpabio for failing to fulfil his second term governorship campaign promise of building 31 industries in the 31 local government areas of the state, and commended Governor Emmanuel for industrializing the state within three years of his administration.

Nkanga asked rhetorically “We talk about industrialisation. When Godswill Akpabio was here, one of the promises he made was that there would be an industry in each of the 31 local government areas. But did we have one?