Akpabio: APC’s Silver Bullet For South-South
After weeks of speculations and suspense, characterised by high level political horse-trading, Senator Godswill Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, formally defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). It is said that the party is cashing in on the development to widen its inroads in the South-South geopolitical zone of the country.
During a mega rally held at the Ikot Ekpene township stadium last week Wednesday to formally receive him, a broomwielding Senator Godswill Akpabio declared that he was taking the oil-rich state to the centre.
To political watchers, the day marked a watershed in the political history of the state and, indeed, the country, as no fewer than 30 APC senators and members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling party were on hand to receive the ex-Senate Minority Leader into their party’s fold. President Muhammadu Buhari was represented at the even by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha.
The Senate Majority Leader, Ahmed Lawan, set the tone of the day when he described Akpabio as a nationalist and patriot who believes in the administration of President Buhari.
“This defection surpasses all other defections. This is a defection that has shaken the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). They followed Akpabio everywhere to prevent him from defecting, but he ignored them,” he said.
The crowd that witnessed Akpabio’s defection at his Ikot Ekpene country home was unprecedented, according to the National Woman Leader of the APC, Salamatu Umar, who reportedly said: “Nigerian women are proud of Akpabio.”
Until his defection, the 55-year-old Akpabio, representing the Akwa Ibom North West senatorial district in the Senate, was a chieftain of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Senate Minority Leader. Not a few political watchers saw his defection as a surprise, given his political antecedents, especially in Akwa Ibom State.
The immediate past governor of his home state for eight years, Akpabio was viewed in many quarters as a power broker, a political godfather who determined the future of politicians in the South-South state.
He is said to have demystified the political clout of the former governor, Obong Victor Attah, a former deputy governor and current managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr Nsima Ekere and former Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government, Mr. Umana Umana, among others. Akpabio, who is the godfather of the current governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, is believed to be the one who called the shots in the state from Abuja while still in the PDP. For instance, he is said to be instrumental for 70 per cent of the political appointments within the government of Governor Emmanuel Udom at the State House of Assembly, House of Representatives and the Senate. Little wonder his overwhelming influence and popularity within the state is acknowledged, albeit metaphorically, through the mantra: ‘what money cannot do, more money can do.’
He gave no inkling of his planned defection as he maintained tactical links with the PDP family at the centre and supported the gale of defections involving its former members who returned to the party in the Senate with his presence.
It was only when his defection was confirmed by Ita Enang, Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters, which preceded the release of his resignation letter as Senate Minority Leader that speculations over his political move were laid to rest.
Thereafter, political discussions, especially in Akwa Ibom State, shifted to how the government of Emmanuel would survive the blow dealt by Akpabio’s movement. When things fell apart The signs of trouble between the governor and Senator Akpabio came to limelight when, earlier in the year, Akpabio accused his successor of marginalising Ikot Ekpene senatorial district in terms of development projects.
At an annual get-together organised by the state deputy governor, Mr. Moses Ekpo, Akpabio categorically stated that the senatorial district would not support the 2019 re-election bid of the governor as he had abandoned the area, failed to initiate new developmental projects and left projects unfinished.
Although the outburst threw up a lot of tension, which was later doused by Akpabio and his godson, it signaled a crack in their relationship. This crack lent credence to allegations that the governor secretly paid for petitions to be written to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against Akpabio and the subsequent decision to defy the former governor’s directives on some appointments in the state.
Although the state government was known to have defended Akpabio when it dragged the EFCC to court and obtained an interim injunction restraining it from probing the finances of the state, the effect was temporary as the injunction was later lifted.
This visible handwriting on the wall is said to have opened the eyes of Akpabio to the possibility of courting the government at the center to avoid the sting of the EFCC as others who did so were allegedly ‘pardoned’ after joining the party.
This was said to have emboldened Akpabio to declare at his reception into the APC that he had no case to answer with the commission because he has been cleared of all charges. However, the EFCC has said that the commission does not close cases or give clearance to anybody. But observers say the future will tell if truly Akpabio is free from the fear of EFCC.
In the wake of insinuations that greeted Akapabio’s defection, the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, maintained that the Federal Government would not shield any defector to the APC from investigation and prosecution by anti-graft agencies.
Akpabio did not defect alone; he left the PDP with four lawmakers, consisting two members from the House of Representatives, Mr Emmanuel Ikon and Mr Emmanuel Akpan from Abak and Ikot Ekpene federal constituencies, respectively, and Mr Nse Ntuen and Mr Gabriel Toby from Essien Udim and Etim Ekpo state constituencies respectively; two commissioners from the State Executive Council, Mr Victor Antai, Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Mr Ibanga Akpabio, Ministry of Labour, Productivity and Manpower Planning; as well as Don Etim, Commissioner of Works and Housing during Akpabio’s administration and Deputy Inspector-General of Police (rtd), Udom Ekpo-Udom, alongside other supporters and well-wishers.
More defections are expected to follow in the future as the political scene unfolds. But for now, Akpabio has gained a lot of supporters as well as enemies.
Many politicians and party loyalists from both the PDP and APC are said to be aggrieved.
How Akpabio will penetrate the South-South for APC
With his defection now a settled matter, the biggest question on the lips of Nigerians is what he will bring to the table and what the party stands to benefit, especially in the South-South zone, believed to be the stronghold of the PDP.
In his acceptance speech at the reception rally, Akpabio cited the interest of the nation and the need to link the state to the centre.
“People are asking why the APC; you need to know that I am a nationalist. In troubled times like this when the country is at war, all hands must be on deck to salvage the situation. This is a difficult moment for Nigeria. In a period of national emergency, everybody should put hands together to support this government to bring peace to the people. I will like to be a conspirator who joins hands to conspire to put food on the table of Nigerians,” he said.
This was believed to be his submission to help Buhari and the APC to salvage the country from the doldrums of problems, a feat he said he could not achieve while in the PDP.
But Akpabio is believed to be endowed with talents that effortlessly pull many to his side. Apart from having a very deep pocket and large heart, he is a persuasive orator who uses these attributes effectively to his political advantage.
As an influential power broker in Akwa Ibom State, Akpabio is seen by his new party to command a lot of influence and followership that could be extended to other states within the South-South region of the country. As former governor, he is believed to financially empower many people within and outside the state who are very loyal to him and are at his beck and call.
He is also believed to wield some measure of influence among counterpart political leaders in the South-South. These credentials are what the APC believes it could rely upon in the quest to ‘conquer’ Akwa Ibom State, and by extension, other strongholds of the PDP in the Niger Delta in 2019.
A party source said that by APC’s calculations, Akpabio would garner votes from his senatorial district, Mr. Nsima Ekere from Akwa Ibom South senatorial district would produce votes from his axis, while Mr Ita Enang, Mr Umana Umana, and Senator John Akpan-Udoedehe, all from Akwa Ibom North East senatorial district would deliver votes for the party. To buttress Akpabio’s significance to the APC, moments before his formal defection, Ita Enang was quoted as saying that: “It is a day of great elation for us because this event is going to elevate our party, increase and strengthen our ranks. This will no doubt strengthen our hold on Akwa Ibom State so that the APC produces the next governor from the state in 2019. This will also bring Akwa Ibom State to the centre. We can no longer be an opposition state. Akwa Ibom State will enjoy the full benefits and attention of a state working with the ruling party. We want to be the state that will give the APC the most votes in 2019.”
Elsewhere in neighboring Cross Rivers State, a party chieftain said Akpabio could take advantage of the beleaguered and factionalised APC in the state and foist an executive which for two years has been the major problem of the party.
“He has the capacity to sway many APC dignitaries in the state to do his biddings. He will want to stamp his feet on the ground to prove what he said - a one-man tsunami,” said the source.
Similarly, it is believed that Akpabio might have a good friend in Ayade who, though a PDP governor, has been well suspected to be working his way to the APC. Ayade himself has denied this, yet he once said he worked more for the APC and President Buhari than any APC governor, which is why he has more favours from the president.
An APC senator told Daily Trust on Sunday that with Akpabio’s defection to the party, they would make great inroads into the South-South geopolitical zone in the 2019 general elections.
The lawmaker said Akpabio’s defection would have more positive impact than the negative impact the defections of 14 APC senators would have on the party.
“You saw what happened in Akwa Ibom on Wednesday when we went to receive Senator Akpabio. He is a political asset to the APC, especially in the SouthSouth zone.
“You could see the mammoth crowd that received him. That tells you that the man has great followers among his people, and that will translate into electoral value for the APC.
“Tell me, among the senators that defected to the PDP, who could have gone to do so in his constituency? None. Even the Senate President couldn’t have pulled that kind of crowd in Kwara.
“So, for us, Akpabio is a great asset. In fact, his electoral value is more than that of all the senators that left us,” the senator, who did not want to be named, said.
It was also gathered that with Akpabio’s defection to the APC, he would be one of the frontrunners and leaders of the party in his geopolitical zone.
Already, analysts said there was a silent battle of who would become the party’s leader in the South-South between him and the minister of transportation and former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi.
Before now, Amaechi had enjoyed the monopoly of being the party’s leader in the zone, determining who becomes what, but he now has Akpabio to contend with within the party.
However, it is believed that if the two political leaders come together to work harmoniously for APC’s victory, the party would be better for it. Not a tea party However, the PDP and its supporters in Akwa Ibom are not resting on their oars as they are of the notion that the state could not be willed out on the whims of an individual.
They said that if the APC could prove their mettle, the state could be theirs to govern in 2019. But if the PDP proves to be superior, the state remains theirs after the elections.
Pundits argue that though Akpabio may have had some supporters and loyalists defecting with him to the APC, and going by the large turnout of people at the defection ceremony, it does not translate to votes during the elections. They add that while he enjoys the goodwill of his people, particularly from Ikot Ekpene, it is not everyone that is in support of his defection. In fact, as the defection rally was going on, the PDP was also holding a parallel rally for its stakeholders, also in Ikot Ekpene. It was learnt that prior to that day, Governor Udom Emmanuel had met with political leaders loyal to the PDP from the area.
There are speculations that the Abak 5, comprising Abak, Etim Ekpo,Oruk Anam, Ukanafun and Ika local government areas, all in Ikot Ekpene senatorial district would produce a candidate to contest the senatorial seat on the platform of the PDP, now that Akpabio, who was supposed to be returned to the Senate in 2019 on the party’s platform, is now with the opposition in the state.
Akpabio’s exit from the party has not only propelled the PDP to re-strategise and plan to retain the seat of government come 2019, many are saying that even if Akpabio wins the whole of Ikot Ekpene senatorial district to himself and the APC in 2019, it will be difficult to arm-twist Akwa Ibom North East and South senatorial districts to himself as the governor’s appointment of Emmanuel Ekuwem from Oro ethnic nationality earlier in the year as the Secretary to the State Government had broken the closed ranks of the Oro people who were angling for the governorship position in 2019.
Also, the governor’s efforts at building physical roads as against what they term the political roads built by Akpabio when he was governor, are a plus to his government. Across the state, there are postulations that with his defection, Akpabio just dug his political grave.
The 55-year-old Senator Akpabio, a lawyer, ruled Akwa Ibom State for eight years as governor. In 2002, he was appointed a commissioner for petroleum and natural resources by the then Governor Obong Victor Attah. Between 2002 and 2006, he served as a commissioner in three key ministries: Petroleum and Natural Resources, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, as well as Lands and Housing.
In 2006, he aspired for the governorship of Akwa Ibom State in a hotly contested primary election and defeated 57 other aspirants to emerge the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party. His campaign with the slogan, “Let God’s will be done” received mass support and he was elected governor in 2007.