APC defectors in harder times as PDP’s Senate Minority Leader Godswill Akpabio joins APC with some PDP Senators
“You can see how he refused to remove Fayose despite his rabble-rousing activities in the Government House of Ekiti State but tolerated him to complete his four years and go. Today, can anybody point to how Buhari is the cause of the downfall of that self-style Faraoh of Ekiti State? No. He not only caused the downfall of himself but also he ruined himself morally, spiritually and politically for life and that is the function of rule of law and due process. It is the same way he has tolerated Saraki, who has deliberately frustrated his anti-corruption war and economic development plans for three years until he and whoever joined him are now beginning to ruin themselves. That is why I can vehemently tell you here that all the cries by Secondus and his PDP followers will pave to nothing as Saraki will just have to give way in matter of days. Mark my words,” Wale Ogunyemi, a Lagos economist member of a Concerned Citizens Group told The DEFENDER.
It is no longer rumour that the gang-ups against President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election 2019 orchestrated by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in collaboration with People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is now a failed project as yet another blow in the face of the conspiracy has been unveiled with Minority Leader of the PDP, Senator Godswill Akpabio’s defection from the embattled former ruling party to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
What makes Akpabio’s defection significant is the fact that his defection will now cause in PDP the huge negative impact that Senate President Bukola Saraki had planned that his own defection would make in APC before he was broken halfway by the Lai Mohammed-led counter plot.
It will be recalled that Saraki, against his claim that he decamped to help APC win election in 2015, was actually the one that was saved from the impending persecution of by the PDP/Goodluck Jonathan-led Federal Government, which was thwarted by his admission by APC at that time.
Recall also that to frustrate Saraki’s defection from PDP, the David Mark-led 7th Senate refused to read the letter containing names of 12 senators including his own name to that effect. Whether the letter was read or not, the 12 senators made good their plan and worked along with the genuine APC members against the PDP which refused their defection using the powers of the legislature residing in the hands of Mark.
The All Progressives Congress (APC), The DEFENDER gathered, is now set as it has finalized plans to formally receive Senator Godswill Akpabio into the moving train being piloted by it as the ruling party of Nigeria.
One of the sources confirming this is the Special Assistant to the President on Prosecution, Mr. Okoi Obono-Obla, who posted the confirmation on his social media wall of Facebook.
The APC, many have described, may have succeeded in showcasing “politicking without tears” as its persistence use of rule of law, in dealing with issues that past administrations of PDP had applied force to handle, is now paying off.
Before now, President Muhammadu Buhari’s insistence on rule of law cum due process had meant slowness and ineffectiveness. But with consistency unwavering by those accusations, the President has today emerged a great ideologue as many who bashed and called him “drained brain” yesterday are now not only praising but also engaging in serious campaigns without pay for his re-election for continuity in 2019.
Chief Femi Adesina had told The DEFENDER in 2016, amidst hostilities and unprecedented criticisms by the opposition who began 2019 campaigns on May 30 barely 24 hours after the President took over from them in 2015, that although the President’s mind was focused mainly on the four-year job he had just been elected to do which was just about to be one year old but that whether he would contest in 2019 or not will be the function of his performance and state of health.
Femi Adesina, who is the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, said this at that time. Today, whereas some of those who started 2019 in 2015 now joined by Obasanjo who before now had since torn his membership card of their party are claiming they do not see what the President has done in three years, many who were active in assessing the President’s performance since under six months thereby calling him a failure are today leading light in the Buhari’s re-election campaign.
“This is the kind of achievement that you see when you do not allow distractions to make you waver on doing the right thing. President Buhari had been faced with challenges that no Nigerian President had faced before but his insistence on doing what he was being challenged upon knowing quite well it was the right thing is the secret of the successes that we have all made in Nigeria today by his administration.
“You can see how he refused to remove Fayose despite his rabble-rousing activities in the Government House of Ekiti State but tolerated him to complete his four years and go. Today, can anybody point to how Buhari is the cause of the downfall of that self-style Faraoh of Ekiti State? No. He not only caused the downfall of himself but also he ruined himself morally, spiritually and politically for life and that is the function of rule of law and due process. It is the same way he has tolerated Saraki, who has deliberately frustrated his anti-corruption war and economic development plans for three years until he and whoever joined him are now beginning to ruin themselves. That is why I can vehemently tell you here that all the cries by Secondus and his PDP followers will pave to nothing as Saraki will just have to give way in matter of days. Mark my words,” Wale Ogunyemi, a Lagos economist member of a Concerned Citizens Group told The DEFENDER.
As for the latest development, the All Progressives Congress (APC) will be receiving Senator Godswill Akpabio into its fold in matter of days and, according to Obono-Obla, the Akpabio’s welcome rally into the APC will hold at Ikot Ekpene Stadium, which he built as governor of Akwa Ibom State.
Obono-Obla said, “There shall be an APC Rally at Ikot Ekpene , Akwa Abasi Ibom State on Thursday the 9th August 2018 to receive the former indefatigable Governor of the State, His Excellency, Senator Godswill Akpabio to the All Progressives Congress! Acting President Osinbajo accompanied by Senator Ita Enang and leaders of the APC in Akwa Ibom will formally receive Senator Godswill Akpabio into the APC at Ikot Ekpene Stadium on Thursday August 9, 2018.”
Also, the Senior Special (Liaison) Assistant to the President on National Assembly (Senate) Senator Ita Enang put out a post on Twitter announcing Akpabio’s reception into the ruling party.
He said “I’m confirming that the @APCNigeria family as earlier indicated will formally receive H.E,@godswill_akpabio on WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 8,2018 at an elaborate ceremony in Akwa-Ibom State.Senator (Dr) ITA ENANG.Presidential Liaison to the National Assembly- Senate. Sen@itaenanglaw2.com”.
While Obolo-Obla mentioned Thursday which is August 9, Enang stated Wednesday August 8 for the reception rally for Akpabio. What is constant is that, the Senate’s Minority Leader would in matter of day cease to be member of the PDP.
Many reasons have been adduced as to why Akpabio has decided to defect from PDP to APC. Where some say that the former Governor decided to leave the former ruling party following an issue between him and his protégé, the Governor of Akwa-Ibom State, Mr. Emmanuel Udom, another set of people alleged that the he was being blackmailed by the APC to deliver Akwa-Ibom State for APC or he will face the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Godswill Akpabio, currently the Senate’s Minority Leader, had served as Governor of Akwa Ibom State from May 29, 2007 to May 29, 2015.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday, met with the Senate’s Minority Leader, Akpabio, reportedly to perfect the lawmaker’s defection to the APC from the PDP.
The former Akwa Ibom Governor arrived the State House Villa by 3.06pm, with the Presidential Aide on National Assembly (Senate), Senator Ita Enang. The former governor in recent times doesn’t have much of a working relationship with his predecessor Udom Emmanuel, with close associates confirming the feud between the duo is increasing by the day.
The EFCC is investigating allegations that the former governor embezzled N108bn during his tenure between 2007 and 2015. Akpabio has also been accused of a gift of N1.4bn to a bank for unknown reasons by the EFCC.
But Mr. Wale Ogunyemi, the economist, said, “It does not matter whether or not he is being blackmailed to join APC or face EFCC. If his hands were clean in the first instance, he cannot easily fall for any blackmail. However, his falling for this alleged blackmail will make him to be part of the process of things expected of any patriotic Nigerian if it will mean for the good of the country. Don’t forget however that no one will be covered from EFCC because he is a member of the ruling party. Orji Uzor Kalu has insisted his EFCC travail is political but he remains adamant defending the APC and President Muhammadu Buhari because he knows that is where the sincerity about Change for Nigeria stands. To this extent, I concur with Akpabio,” Ogunyemi said.
