- The Peoples Democratic Party in Akwa Ibom state has denied claims that it expelled the former Senate minority leader
- The party said Senator Godswill Akpabio has never even been suspended at any time
- According to the PDP, Akpabio at different campaigns mocked the party as being empty since his 'uncommon defection'
The Akwa Ibom chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday, May 20, said it never expelled or suspended former governor, Godswill Akpabio, from the party.
The publicity secretary of the party in the state, Ini Ememobong, stated this at a news conference in Uyo.
He said that the claim by Akpabio that he was expelled by the party was a “transparent lie’’, adding that the former governor had never “even been suspended at any time’’.
“Chief Akpabio had announced to the world on August 8, 2018, that he was defecting from the PDP to the APC in pursuit of national interest and to stem the tide of defections in the National Assembly.
“In fact, at different campaigns, he mocked the PDP as being empty since his `uncommon defection’.
“At no time did he mention the issue of expulsion, which has now become his creation, as a lame defence in his struggle to keep his seat at the Senate,’’ Ememobong said.
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He alleged that Akpabio colluded with a former chairman of PDP in Essien Udim local government area to procure a letter purportedly expelling him from the party, and back dated it.
According to him, after completing the assignment, the former chairman defected to APC to join Akpabio.
The PDP insisted that there was no way Akpabio could have been expelled by the party without the concern of the executive committee of the party the area and the state.
He also stated that there was no record showing the existence of such a punitive action against the senator by his ward or local government executive committee of the party.
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Akpabio had asked a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to suspend its judgement on an application seeking to vacate seats of 54 federal lawmakers who defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Akpabio also prayed the court to allow him to respond to the suit that was filed by an advocacy group which has applied for the refund of salaries and allowances of lawmakers who defected after their election into the National Assembly.
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In a swift move, the Senator, few days to the judgement date for the suit, filed an application insisting that he was not consulted before any lawyer was appointed to appear for the matter.
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Source: Legit Nigeria
