- The real reason, the Senate minority leader visited APC national leader has been revealed
- Akpabio was in a meeting with Bola Tinubu for last minute consultations for his defection to APC
- The meeting was said to be at the instance of Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom state
On Monday, August 6, the Senate minority leader, Godswill Akpabio visited the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu.
The visit among many others have caused a ruse in the camp of the opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Punch reports that the meeting between between Akpabio and Tinubu was part of the last-minute consultations on his planned defection to the ruling APC.
A source privy to information from the meeting said the visit was at the instance of Akpabio who is a former governor of Akwa Ibom.
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The source said the minority leader felt it was necessary for him to visit Tinubu before finally defecting to the APC.
"Asiwaju started the whole process of bringing Akpabio to join the APC. The discussions and negotiations began a long time ago and what he (Akpabio) did when he came today was to just come for further consultations ahead of his formal declaration which is on Tuesday (Today).
“He (Akpabio) said his visit was just a homecoming visit because Asiwaju started it all. Don’t forget, capturing Akpabio who is ‘a big fish’ in the south south is major inroads to the zone. You know his weight in Akwa Ibom and in the south south as a whole," the source said.
Revealing details of the meeting, the source noted that the minority leader has said that the process of his defection was initiated by Bola Tinubu.
He quoted Akpabio saying: “You (Tinubu) started it all, I needed to come to where it all started.”
Describing the minority leaders decision to meet Tinubu as strategic, the source said Akpabio's input is needed in the party because of his influence over the people of Akwa Ibom state.
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The source said Akpabio was credited with almost single-handedly installing the current Akwa Ibom state governor, Udom Emmanuel, members of the National Assembly and their counterparts in the state House of Assembly.
He said with Akpabio's defection, only one of the three PDP senators will be left in the opposition PDP with several members of the House of Representatives expected to join him in his new party.
"With Akpabio joining us, you know the days of the PDP in Akwa Ibom and in the south south generally are already numbered. His joining the APC will help strengthen our party in the APC in the south south," the source said.
Meanwhile, NAIJ.com previously reported that some members of the APC on Sunday, August 5, kicked against the speculated defection of the minority leader of Akpabio.
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The party members under the aegis of Akwa Ibom Progressives Watch petitioned the national chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, warning on the impending dangers of defection of Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom state to the APC.
In a letter dated August 3, and addressed to the APC national chairman, the group said it has noted with deep concern the broad chorus of disapproval and complete despondency among different strata of members of the APC in Akwa Ibom state over the defection of Akpabio to the party.
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Source: Naija.ng
