POLITICS

Akpabio a huge burden to Akwa Ibom – PDP elders

Published

5 years ago

August 11, 2018

Bassey Anthony

Senator Godswill Akpabio was a huge financial burden on the Akwa Ibom state government, elders of the People Democratic Party (PDP) in the state have said.

With Akpabio’s exit from the PDP, the elders under the aegis of Akwa Ibom Elders Vanguard, said yesterday that the excessive demands from the Governor Udom Emmanuel administration have ended.

Addressing reporters in Uyo leader of the group, Senator Anietie Okon said, “impunity and treachery were the trademark of former senate minority leader Senator Goodwill Akpabio”.

Okon said that Akpabio’s defection has left Governor Udom Emmanuel to remain focus on development of the State with steady financial resources instead of distraction from Akpabio who played the role of a godfather as a ploy to plunder State treasury with insatiable demands from the state government including using state funds to finance legal battle whenever he was apprehended by Economic and Financial Commission.

The Elders who were accompanied by Senator Emmanuel Ibok Essien, Obong Bassey Inuaeyen, Hon. Ndueson Essien Dr. Emmanuel Ukpong among others further accused Akpabio of playing hypocrite when he made negative comment against Governor Emmanuel.

The Elders maintained that Akpabio defection was a great relief to PDP in view of political burden of managing a man who was facing daily threat of prosecution from anti-graft agencies which became unbearable for the party.

Senator Okon also refuted claims by Akpabio that he defected to APC as a move to take Akwa Ibom and South South to the centre stage of development in Nigeria as false and incredible.

He said “As the highest revenue contributor to the political economic of Nigeria, we do not need Akpabio to take us to the centre. Both politically and economically, Akwa Ibom, nay, the South South geo-political zone is already the hub of developmental train in Nigeria. When a man is fighting for personal survival and relevance, but claim to be fighting for the interest of the masses he should be reminded that no man runs away from his shadow” the Elders caution.

On the freezing of the account of the state government the Elders quoted section 34 of the EFCC Act and submitted that the federal government acted on illegality.

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