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Some elders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State have opposed purported subtle moves to consider Godswill Akpabio for a ministerial appointment.
Their protestation is coming barely 48 hours to the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari for a second term in office on May 29, 2019.
Speaking under the aegis of Ibom Integrity & Servant Leadership Culture Initiative, the elders in a letter to President Buhari, argued that appointing Akpabio would be an invitation to crisis in the state.
They maintained that Akpabio, who defected to APC on the eve of the 2019 general elections after serving as former governor under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), should not be considered a genuine APC faithful to deserve a ministerial appointment.
The letter titled: Ministerial Appointment: Why Appointing Akpabio May be Counter Productive and signed by the group’s Executive Vice President, Dr. Asuquo Edidem Etim, a copy of which was sent to APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomole, Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha and Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, described Akpabio as a destabilising agent.
They argued that the state is peopled with men of integrity who fit into ministerial positions to help actualise the APC-led government’s next level agenda.
“APC’s poor outing in Akwa Ibom in the last general election was, to a large extent, due Akpabio’s destabilising and authoritarian tendencies, as he only believes that it is either his way or nobody’s.
“Akpabio’s actions left many party members bruised, trampled and disgruntled, which affected the chances of our governorship candidate, Obong Nsima Ekere at the polls,” they stated.
Meanwhile, the APC in Akwa Ibom State has appealed to police authorities to ensure that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) staff members who were arrested with card readers were thoroughly investigated.
State Chairman of the party, Ini Okopido, made the appeal yesterday during a media briefing in Uyo and urged the police and people of the state to discountenance INEC’s claims of illegal possession of the devices by its staff.
He also alleged that the party was aware of pressure the PDP was mounting on the police authorities to sweep further investigation of the matter under the carpet, insisting that INEC must get to the bottom of the matter.
But in a swift reaction through a statement issued by INEC’s Public Affairs Officer, Don Etukudo, it accused the APC of masterminding ‘another scam’ to deceive members of the public and blackmail the commission.