₦airaland Forum

The exodus from the Governor Udom Emmanuel-led Akwa Ibom State Government has continued with the resignation of the Governor's Special Assistant on Projects, Mr Godswill Ekpenyong.

Mr Ekpenyong, who has also defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All
Progressives Congress (APC), is the ninth aide of Governor Emmanuel to quit in recent months.

In a chat with newsmen in Uyo on Thursday, Mr Ekpenyong said he resigned because of the
discriminatory attitude of the Governor to most of his aides, accusing the Governor of favouring those he called "the Lagos cabal."

He said that former Governor Godswill Akpabio, unlike Governor Emmanuel, treated all his aides fairly, providing them with the requisite working tools and perks of office. He advised Governor Emmanuel to withdraw from the governorship race to save himself from disgrace because Akwa Ibom people are determined to vote him out and bring in the more popular APC Governorship Candidate, Obong Nsima Ekere.

Mr Ekpenyong said that he was joining the APC because the PDP structure in Mbo, his local government area has collapsed with the resignation of Mr Victor Antai, the erstwhile Commissioner for Culture and Tourism who is now the APC House of Representatives candidate for Oron Federal Constituency.

He said that the electoral chances of Governor Emmanuel and the PDP in Mbo were further ruined by Dr Emmanuel Ekuwem, the Secretary to the State Government who altered the zoning arrangement in place to deny Mr Samuel Ufuo, the House of Assembly Member for Mbo a second term ticket.

Mr Ekpenyong, a frontline youth leader in Mbo, said the zoning alteration has led to a situation where both the House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates are from Ebughu, his community, in a local government area that has five communities.

He expressed confidence that all APC candidates, especially Obong Ekere and Mr Antai will win in Mbo.
Mr Ekpenyong's resignation brings to nine the number of Governor Emmanuel's aides that have quit his government recently, mostly citing poor working conditions and the Governor's lack of electoral value.

The aides that have resigned are Barr Chris Okorie, Special Assistant on Electoral Matters, Elder Ibanga Etang, Special Assistant on Project Monitoring, Barr Utibe Idem, Special Assistant on Projects, Mr Anietie Ebe, Special Assistant on Project Monitoring, Barr Mfon Udeme, Special Assistant on Electoral Matters, Mr Joe Iniodu, Special Assistant on Media, Mr Idorenyin Esikot, Special Assistant on Small and Medium Scale Enterprises and Dr. Anthony Usoro, Senior Special Assistant on Demographic Planning.
Two commissioners, Mr Victor Antai and Barr Ibanga Akpabio and a member of the Judiciary Service Commission, Barr Bassey Dan-Abia Jnr also resigned and decamped to the APC from the PDP.

Addressing a press conference last month, Barr Udeme predicted that nearly all Governor Emmanuel's over 200 aides will resign before the elections. He was shot and critically wounded in the leg the following day in a failed assassination attempt on him in his house in Uyo.

Governor Emmanuel's estranged godfather, Senator Godswill Akpabio at his recent empowerment programme for his constituents in Ikot Ekpene senatorial district predicted that the Governor will be completely deserted by December with mass movement of his remaining loyalists to the APC.

Mynd44

Hmmm this defection is getting too much, the machine formulating those numbers it's okay please.

So that is how everybody want to leave PDP in qua ibom state

Udom is walking alone

2015 it was PDP 900,000 votes, but in 2019 it will be PDP 550,00 Votes and APC 350,000 votes... if you know you know...

Tetehjewels:
You obviously know nothing.

PDP has already lost Akwa ibom. I am an Akwa ibomite and PDP will lose massively here.

Bro Don’t let them start wailing yet... February is still far.... Let Us give them little Hope, We need them alive

PDP is finish in AKWA Ibom state with out senator AKPABIO.

One thing i believe in Akwa Ibom politics is that while the sitting Governor, Udom understands little or nothing about grassroot politics,Akpabio and his cohorts are banking on that weakness to galvanize support for APC guber candidate,Ekere

More Defection Hits Ikono PDP Chapter As Thousands Dump Party For APC.

...APC Chairmen Blessed with Motor Bikes from Hon. Udofia

By Joseph Ekpo

The All Progressives Congress, APC on Friday at Ward 8, Ikono LGA of Akwa Ibom state absorbed over 1000 defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The defectors were formally received by the APC chairman, Akwa Ibom Chapter, Hon. Ini Okopido alongside the new speaker Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Nse Ntuen at a Grand Reception/Endorsement Rally which was held at Methodist Central School, Ikot Odu Ndiya in Ikono LGA of Akwa Ibom state.

Hon. Okopido during the reception affirmed the party’s readiness to grant equal right and fair treatment to the new members. He went further urging them to remain committed and active in canvassing support for the party so as to ensure its victorious emergence in the forthcoming February 2019 general elections.

The PDP defectors however, expressed high degree of dissatisfaction over Gov. Udom Emmanuel led administration as according to them, there was no single road in the area that can ever be credited to his administration. They in furtherance pledged total support to APC, their new party.

Also at the event, Rt. Hon. Ntuen presented over 10 motorcycles to all the ward chairmen in the area courtesy of Rt. Hon. Victor Udofia, the Honourable member representing Ikono State constituency.

The speaker, during the presentation, urged the beneficiaries to make effective use of the motorcycles towards the betterment and growth of the party. Subsequent to this, was the raining of praises on Rt. Hon. Udofia by the participants as they recounted his numerous empowerment programmes executed for them . They also extended their gratitude to the newly elected speaker, Rt. Hon. Nse Ntuen for the appointment of their son, Mr. Ubong Otung as his Protocol Assistant and assured the party 99% vote as reward.

The event also featured the commissioning of the new Ward 8 APC office, the endorsement of Sen. Godswill Akpabio, president Muhammed Buhari, GCFR for a second term in office and Obong Nsima Ekere for Governor come 2019.

Recall that , Ward 8 in Ikono remains the Ward with the highest number of voters with over 12,000 votes. It is also the Ward where the current PDP flag -bearer for Ikono/Ini federal constituency hails from. But the recent wind of defection has left no one in doubt that the Ward has become purely APC’s.