A’ Ibom elders berate Akpabio for defecting
Akwa Ibom elders who are members of People Democratic Party (PDP) have listed excessive demands, impunity and treachery as dubious tendency of former senate minority leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
They said these have posed great burden to the State and chided the Federal Government for freezing the State’s bank account on the day senator Akpabio defected to All Progressive Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom.
Addressing a press conference in Uyo yesterday, the Elders under the aegis of Akwa Ibom Leaders of Vanguard led by Senator Anietie Okon told correspondents that Akpabio defection has left Governor Udom Emmanuel to remain focus with steady financial resources instead of distraction from Akpabio who played the role of a godfather as a ploy to plunder State treasury with insatiable demands from the state government including using state funds to finance legal battle whenever he was apprehended by Economic and Financial Commission (EFCC).
The Elders who was accompanied by Senator Emmanuel Ibok Essien, Obong Bassey Inuaeyen, Hon. Ndueso Essien Dr. Emmanuel Ukpong among others further accused Akpabio of playing hypocrite when he made negative comment against Governor Emmanuel in his defection speech yesterday as the Governor sacked two commissioners who went to the airport to receive Akpabio.
The Elders maintained that Akpabio’s defection was a great relief to PDP in view of political burden of managing a man who was facing daily threat of prosecution from anti-graft agencies which became unbearable for the party.
Senator Okon also refuted claims by Akpabio that he defected to APC as a move to take Akwa Ibom and South- South to the centre stage of development in Nigeria as false and incredible.
He said “As the highest revenue contributor to the economy of Nigeria, we do not need Akpabio to take us to the centre.
Both politically and economically, Akwa Ibom, nay, the South South geo-political zone is already the hub of developmental train in Nigeria.
When a man is fighting for personal survival and relevance, but claim to be fighting for the interest of the masses he should be reminded that no man runs away from his shadow,” the Elders caution.
On the freezing of the account of the state government the Elders quoted section 34 of the EFCC Act and submitted that the federal government acted on illegality.
Quote:
“When a man is fighting for personal survival and relevance, but claim to be fighting for the interest of the masses he should be reminded that no man runs away from his shadow”. – A’ Ibom elders
