Former Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday with two members each from the House of Representatives and two Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly.
Akpabio, representing Akwa Ibom North-West in the National Assembly, said his defection was done to link Akwa Ibom State to the centre.
The legislators include a member from Abak Federal Constituency, Mr Emmanuel Ikon; a member from Ikot Ekpene Federal Constituency,
Emmanuel Akpan; a member from the Essien Udim State Constituency, Mr Nse Ntuen; and a member representing Etim Ekpo State Constituency, Mr Gabriel Toby.
The two commissioners, who also defected from the PDP, included the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Mr Victor Antai and Commissioner for Labour, Productivity and Manpower Planning, Mr Ibanga Akpabio.
Former Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Udom Ekpo-Udom (retd.), among others, also defected.
Commenting on his defection, Akpabio said, “People are saying why the APC, you need to know 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, to bring peace to Benue State, to stop the killings in our country, to ensure employment for our children, who bring about uncommon transformation for Nigerians.
“This is the moment of uncommon change, uncommon change has come to Akwa Ibom, South-South, uncommon change has come to the Niger Delta.
The National Chairman of the APC, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, who received Akpabio into the party, eulogised him (Akpabio) for the courage he had shown by leaving the PDP.
He said, “When I was Governor of Edo State and even now, my successor, Godwin Obaseki, we have always treaded quite lonely that in the whole of the South-South, it is only in Edo State that we have a state governor.
“We have been anxious to find another state to join forces with us in our determination to sustain the changes that Nigeria badly requires.”
Speaking, Secretary to the Federal Government, Boss Mustapha, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari at the occasion, said despite the difficulties experienced in the country, the President had been able to provide jobs for teeming Nigerians in the last three years.
Mustapha who handed over the leadership of the party in the state to Akpabio on behalf of the President called on the people of the state to have faith in the Federal Government as things would improve.
“I came to thank the Akwa Ibom people for the show of remarkable support. I want to put on record that the entire South-South has been taken over by the APC. I can assure you that the heart of the President and Acting President are solidly behind you,” he said.
Akpabio was governor of Akwa Ibom State from 2007 to 2015 on the platform of the PDP.
