-Visits Buhari in London
-He’s welcome on board – Lai
Barring any change in plan, Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, will on Wednesday defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The confirmation which was made yesterday by Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Eta Enang in Abuja, is coming barely three days after the lawmaker received APC defectors.
Enang, through his Twitter handle @SenItaEnang, also assured that the APC will “formally receive” the former Akwa Ibom state governor at a rally in Ikot Ekpene.
Akpabio was one of the PDP leaders at a dinner organised on August 1 in Abuja to welcome APC members.
Akpabio posted on his Facebook page, photos of the dinner which took place at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel.
In the photos, the senator seemed to be in a joyous mood; he was seen laughing, hugging and shaking hands with other politicians, and given some time to address the gathering.
His planned exit was further confirmed by another aide of President Muhammadu Buhari and Special Assistant on Prosecution, Mr.
Okoi Obono-Obla.
Apart from confirming Akpabio’s defection in a message he posted on Facebook, the president’s aide said; “Senator Akpabio is defecting to the APC, you can take that to the bank.” Describing the senator as “a very ebullient” and “very charismatic,” Obono-Obla said, “I believe his coming to the APC will change the fortunes of the APC in Akwa Ibom in particular, and the South-south in general.” Welcome on board – Lai Meanwhile, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has described the joining of APC by Akpabio as a welcome development.
The minister, who spoke with newsmen in Lagos, said those who left the ruling party did so for personal interests.
“I welcome it (defection of Akpabio) because all politics is local.
All those who have left us did that for purely personal reasons.
“Since they say politics is a game of number, of course we welcome gladly the defection of the Minority leader like they say it is one-one goalless draw,” he said.
Asked whether Akpabio was being positioned for the position of the Senate President Mohammed replied,” that I don’t know”.
Mohammed said that the recent defection of some governors, state and federal lawmakers to the main opposition party, PDP, was nothing to worry about.
The minister said: “There have been so much hype about this defection, and to me it’s nothing but a storm in a tea cup.
We must appreciate the fact that at the end of the day, all politics is local.
“One should ask, what is the electoral value of these decampees? In order words, today in Sokoto state, what is the electoral value of those who have decamped?” According to him, the foundation for the defection was laid the moment Dr.
Bukola Saraki emerged Senate President against the wish of the party, which affected the relationship between the executive and legislative arms.
“In fact, we could not have suffered more as an executive in the hands of the legislature if a PDP person had been the Senate President,” he said.
On allegation of sideline and lopsided appointment of Kwarans in Buhari’s administration, Mohammad described it as unfounded.
He said that no fewer than 24 indigenes of Kwara were given federal appointments of which he (Mohammed) only recommended two, while the Senate President recommended 20.
On those complaining of not being given juicy appointment, the minister said those complaining were not ready to serve and turn things around but eyeing what to steal.
“It is not true that a particular part of the country is being favoured against the other.
I challenge anybody to go to the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and take out the list of appointees under this administration; you will be surprised that we have been fair to all,” he said.