As Uncommon Broom Revolution Sweeps Across A’Ibom

By UbongAbasi Ise

Senator Akpabio

A raging gale of Change is currently surging Akwa Ibom political landscape, and the permutations and calculations toward 2019 elections have been shattered and altered against all the expectation of pundits. The surprising defection of Senator Godswill Akpabio from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to All Progressives Congress, APC, on Wednesday, was earth-shattering, and a lot of commentators tagged it the uncommon defection.  Akpabio’s defection seems to be redirecting the trajectory the politicking was flowing towards 2019 election year.  It becomes a game of surprises in the political circle as close friends become sworn enemies overnight while old foes changes their fists into handshake in a very chummy disposition. With the uncommon defection of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District Senator, there are fears and uncertainties surrounding  near future, as anybody can jump ship, and head to 2019 with a strange ally.

                At Ikot Ekpene Township Stadium, there was a vast sea of heads that could be adjudged the largest mammoth crowd any opposition party, other than PDP, ever had in the state since 1999. Brooms, the symbol of APC, were everywhere in the vicinity of the jam-packed stadium.  This created a sensation that days when PDP was the only cock that crow in Akwa Ibom may soon be over.  High profiled political elites that graced the event added luster to the ceremony. Dignitaries include the Secretary General to the Federation, Boss Mustapha; APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomole; APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; the Senate Majority Leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan, who led 35 APC Senators to the function, and several other dignitaries at the Federal level. It was one event that sent cold shudders to the opposition PDP which appear to be losing political ground with the departure of the former governor. Senator Akpabio sent warning signal to PDP that uncommon change has come south.

“Uncommon change has come to Akwa Ibom; uncommon change has come to south-south; uncommon change has come to Niger-Delta,” he declared.

Senator Akpabio further said that he has accepted the broom to sweep poverty and tyranny and vowed that as far as he is concerned, “it is the end of PDP in the Niger-Delta.”

Akpabio Explains Why He Dumps PDP For APC

During his address, the former Senate Minority Leader put to rest the question interrogating his choice of APC.  Senator Akpabio said he is a nationalist, and was of belief that APC would offer him a better platform to join hand in tackling Nigeria’s teething problems. In his words, “people are saying “why APC?” You need to know that I am a nationalist. My colleagues who are over 35 in number from Senate today have demonstrated that I am a nationalist.

“Why APC? In trouble times like this when a country is at war, all hands must be on deck to salvage the situation. This is a difficult moment in Nigeria when insurgents are attacking us from Bornu, all the way to Plateau; all the way through Benue to Taraba, Adamawa and even up to Akwa Ibom.

“In a period of a national emergency, everybody should put hands together to support the government, to bring peace to people,” declared the Senator.

Akpabio said he is unfazed even if he is labeled a conspirator and traitor by his political opponents in so far that enable him to help solve Nigeria’s problems.

“I will like to be a conspirator who joins hand to conspire to bring food to the table for Nigerians; I would like to be a conspirator who joins hands to bring peace to Benue State; I like to be a conspirator who join hand to conspire to stop killings in our dear country; I would love to be a conspirator who join hands to ensure full employment of our children. I would love to be a conspirator who brings about uncommon transformation of Nigeria; I will like to be a conspirator who can do dualized road from here to Aba. I don’t want to be a conspirator who wants to topple government,” he said.

Senator Godswill Akpabio further said that why he decamped to APC is to take Akwa Ibom State and the South-south geo-political zone to the politics at the centre.

How Akpabio Is Viewed At The National Front

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Comrade Adams Oshiomole, confessed that he had been a long time admirer of Godswill Akpabio since the time both of them were serving as governors, and he refused to be blinded by political party affiliation. He described Mr. Akpabio as a man of honour who did what other people were afraid to do, adding that “when he decided that enough of the umbrella that had been badly shattered by terrible political weather that had been misruling us  for over 16 years, I believe he did what other people are afraid to do.” Oshiomole said that he will no longer be afraid of any political rivalry with Senator Akpabio standing by him in the South-south.

In his remark, the Senate Majority Leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan (APC Yobe), described Akpabio as uncommon Senator, a citizen, and a nationalist who believes in a united Nigeria. He said Godswil Akpabio is a distinguished Senator and an uncommon man of integrity whose defection is shaking the PDP to its very foundation. Lawan further maintained that the addition of Senator Akpabio into APC fold is of immense benefit that has gone beyond the national assemblies.

“Let me tell you that your addition to the APC Senate caucus is not only addition to national assembly, it is an addition to Nigeria. Your influence has gone beyond national assembly. It has gone beyond Ikot Ekpene and Akwa Ibom. You are an influence across the entire length and breadth of Nigeria,” he said.

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on his part, said the infrastructural development achieved in Akwa Ibom State during the tenure of Godswill Akpabio was due to vision.

Will Akpabio Inclusion Disrupt Akwa Ibom APC?

The chieftain of APC in Akwa Ibom State, Chief Sunny Ibanga, while speaking with our correspondent Wednesday in Uyo, said he has no fear that the admission of Senator Godswill Akpabio into APC family in the state would cause any disruption in the party’s structure. Rather, Chief Ibanga believed that his inclusion would turn around the fortunes of APC because Akpabio is the man that loves to help. He was confident that the Senator will be very comfortable with the arrangement that is on ground. Speaking with newsmen at the Party Secretariat in Uyo, Barr. Joe Ukpong, the APC leader in Abak, former Commissioner for Environment and former governorship aspirant, expressed happiness over the defection of Senator Akpabio into APC adding that “we are at the course to win election convincingly.” Ukpong said Akpabio would not alter the already laid down structure, instead he is moving in with large number of supporters that would be of advantage to the party. 

Source: The Sensor Newspaper