As 2019 General Elections draws closer, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state continues to suffer major setbacks with the spate of massive defections of its key members to the APC.
The exodus from the Party to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State continued on Friday with the defection of the entire structure of the party in Essien Udim, Senator Godswill Akpabio’s Local Government Area.
The PDP executive members at local government and ward levels, numbering over 150, defected at the empowerment ceremony hosted by Senator Akpabio and attended by Mrs Aisha Buhari, the Wife of the President, at the Nsima Ekere Campaign Grounds in Uyo, the state capital.
Chief Ukata Akpan, a former Chief Whip of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, and over 15,000 members of the Tricyclists Owners Association of Nigeria (TOAN), the only tricycle union recognised in the bill recently signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari, across Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, also joined the APC at the ceremony.
Receiving the defectors. Hajiya Salamatu Baiwa, the APC National Woman Leader, and Mr Ini Okopido, the State Chairman of the party hailed the defectors for making the right decision to join the APC, adding that their future was assured because “we have a
President who cares about the interests of the Nigerian people.”
Senator Godswill Akpabio, the Senator for Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, while presenting some of the defectors, announced that “we are closing down PDP in Akwa Ibom State.”
He predicted that “by the end of December there will be no person left in PDP except the Governor and his wife.”
Senator Ita Enang, the Director-General of the Akwa Ibom State APC Campaign Council, used the opportunity to move a motion for the endorsement of President Buhari and Obong Nsima Ekere for election as President and Governor in 2019 which was unanimously carried by the crowd.
He dismissed the State Government’s claim on industrialisation as fake and thanked the Governor for finally admitting that those industries were private concerns.
“Akwa Ibom people, you have to stand up and ask the Governor where is our money? How can you be Mr ‘Industrialisation’ when the industries are owned by private individuals?” he queried.
Atuekong Don Etiebet, the APC State Caucus Chairman, said Akwa Ibom State was the focal point for APC to take over the South-South zone of Nigeria.
He said that President Buhari has revitalised Nigeria in the last couple of years and therefore deserves a reelection.
Senator John Udoedehe, a former APC governorship aspirant, said the APC in Akwa Ibom State was united in the quest to “take power from an incompetent government.”
Chief Ukata, one of the defectors who was presented by Obong Nsima Ekere, the APC Governorship Candidate and Mr Ntiedo Usoro, the Essien Udim PDP Chapter Chairman, described their defection as a Tsunami and a surprise gift to the wife of the President.
“We have collapsed the entire PDP structure in Essien Udim. We are ready to return President Buhari, Obong Nsima Ekere and Distinguished Senator Godswill Akpabio in the 2019 elections,” he said.
The occasion also saw Mr Udeme Udoidung, the TOAN leader, along with over 15,000 tricyclists in the entire Ikot Ekpene senatorial district defecting from the PDP to the APC.
Put Together By Uwem Sunday James.
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