Having suffered some defections in recent weeks, the ruling party, APC, has expressed pleasure with the decision of Sen. Goodwill Akpabio, the Senate
Having suffered some defections in recent weeks, the ruling party, APC, has expressed pleasure with the decision of Sen. Goodwill Akpabio, the Senate Minority Leader, to join its fold. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said on Sunday: “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.’’
There have been rumours making the round about the defection of the Senate Minority Leader from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to APC. APC Newspaper @APCNewspaper, tweeted on Sunday: “BREAKING: We can confirm that, HE, Sen (Dr) Godswill Akpabio is a card carrying member of @OfficialAPCNg effective August 4, 2018. @OfficialPDPNig has lost him. Official Reception in days.’’
Akpabio, the senator representing Akwa Ibom North West District, is reported to have also visited President Muhammadu Buhari in London, currently in UK for a 10-day vacation. Also according to a tweet by Bashir Ahmad through his verified account @BashirAhmaad
“Today in London, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, Senate Minority Leader visited President Muhammadu Buhari.”
He had earlier last week met with the Leader of APC, Alhaji Bola Tinubu. He also consulted with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. On whether Akpabio was being positioned for the position of the Senate President, Lai Mohammed said, “that I don’t know”.
Mohammed said that the recently defection of some governors, state and federal lawmakers to the main opposition party, PDP, was nothing to worry about.
“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’s 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. He said that since the day Saraki lobbied the opposition party to become the Senate President, the relationship between the executive and legislature had been turbulent.
“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.
