Coast Clearer for PDP as YPP, APC Talks Collapse in Akwa Ibom

The coast is clearer for the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Akwa Ibom State governorship election, Pastor Umo Eno, as the much-touted consensus building between the candidates of the Young Progressive Party (YPP), Senator Albert Bassey and his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart, Akanimo Udofia, has collapsed.

The duo were said to have parted ways and decided to contest the Saturday’s governorship election on the platform of their respective political party, following allegations and counter allegations of betrayals and perfidies between them.

Informed sources in the APC confirmed that the APC candidate, Udofia felt betrayed as he holds the YPP candidate, Bassey as being behind the fake news making the rounds in the State that he (Udofia) had withdrawn from the race and expressed support for Bassey.

Consequently, the chances of the YPP candidate who was relying on a shaky alliance in which the APC candidate was being pressured to step down so as to swell the YPP’s support base against the PDP candidate, has been conclusively weakened by the collapsed agreement.

The infuriated APC candidate was said to have sworn that he would rather lose to the PDP candidate than step down for the YPP candidate.

Sources said with the collapse of the said agreement, key members and supporters of the APC and YPP are said to be reaching out to their compatriots in the PDP ahead of Saturday’s election.

The YPP candidate is also said to be making last minute efforts to rally his members which has become difficult as campaign closes for the election.