Senator Godswill Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom state, and Senate Minority leader is set to dump the Peoples Democratic Party and dampen the celebration mood in the PDP headquarters, over the defection of some senators and three governors from the All Progressives Congress.
Now a reverse switch is about to happen, with one of the main pillars of the PDP in the South South crossing to APC.
APC Newspaper on its Twitter handle announced Saturday night: “We can confirm that, HE, Sen (Dr) Godswill Akpabio is a cardcarrying member of @OfficialAPCNg effective August 4, 2018. @OfficialPDPNig has lost him. Official Reception in days”.
And APC United Kingdom in another tweet set the date for the defection: “Acting President, @ProfOsinbajo accompanied by Senator (Dr )Ita Enang, and leaders of the APC in Akwa Ibom to formally receive Senator (Dr.) Godswill Akpabio into APC at Ikot Ekpene Stadium on Thursday 9 August, 2018. All lovers of Democracy are cordially invited”.
According to The Nation, some PDP sources think that defection is not the right way for Akpabio to go. The PDP source who spoke about the defection report said “I think Akpabio has irreconcilable differences with Governor Udom Emmanuel and our leaders stepped into the matter and initiated reconciliation.
“If at the end he is defecting, we are suspecting that he wants to join the APC to settle scores with Emmanuel in 2019. The two leaders have been managing themselves, but Akpabio seems unhappy with the governor.
“We felt that defection is not an ideal option for Akpabio. Maybe he has another agenda.”
Akpabio’s political movement appears irreversible as he also visited former Lagos state governor and the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in his Lagos home, to seal things up. Akpabio, two-term governor of oil rich Akwa Ibom state, is at present minority leader of the PDP in the senate.
Analysts said Akpabio’s crossing over to the APC may flip Akwa Ibom to APC in next February election and at the worst assure President Buhari of capturing 25 per cent of the vote.