Akpabio resigns as senate minority leader
Former governor of Akwa Ibom state Obong Barr. Godswill Akpabio has resigned his position as Minority leader of Nigeria’s senate as contained in a letter to that effect dated 4th August and addressed to the senate deputy minority leader senator Emmanuel Bwacha.
Akpabio, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had in the past few days met top members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) including Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Party Leader Bola Tinubu and lastly President Muhammadu Buhari with whom he had meeting in London on Sunday. Buhari is on medical vacation in London.
The visits of op APC members by Akpabio raised speculations that he was planning to defect to the ruling party with many saying it was to avert criminal prosecution by the government as his name is on the list of the so-called looters made public by government.
Akpabio is also being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged corrupt practices while he was in office as governor. He is billed to formally decamp to APC on Wednesday.
In the letter of resignation, Akpabio said “This letter is to formally inform you of my resignation as the Senate Minority Leader with effect from August 4, 2018,” and thanked the Senate leadership, his colleagues, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the opportunity given to him to lead the PDP caucus in the Senate for the past three years.
