500 PDP members defect to APC in Akwa Ibom

Over 500 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ikono Local
Government Area in Akwa Ibom on Sunday defected to the All Progressives
Congress (APC).
The defection in Ikono, generally regarded as the
cradle of the Ibibio, was the latest defection to hit the PDP in the
state in recent times.
Among those that defected were four former
councillors, Iboro Akpan, Samuel Etuk, Ndifreke Essien and Jonathan
Umana, a former PDP chapter secretary, Dr George Udoh, a former
University of Uyo official, Dr Silas Udofia and Mr Victor Etefia, an oil
mogul in the state.
In his remarks, the immediate past senator of
Akwa Ibom North West in the National Assembly, Sen. Aloysius Etok,
expressed joy that all the “real politicians” in the area were together
in the APC.
Etok assured the APC in the state of bloc votes in
Ikono in the 2019 general elections, adding that the era of writing
election results in Government House, Uyo, is over.
He described some of those still in Ikono PDP as “lightweight and violent politicians” with no grassroots support.
The
senator dismissed as false the claim by the PDP state government that
it had constructed 250 kilometres of roads in the state.
Also speaking, former member of the House of Representatives for
Ikono/Ini federal constituency, Mrs Iquo Inyang, commended the defectors
for choosing to embrace the change that was going on in the country.
Inyang
applauded the anti-corruption war of President Muhammadu Buhari
administration, adding that it was the answer to the prayers of
Nigerians who were impoverished by the mindless looting of the treasury
by the last PDP government.
Receiving the defectors, Obong Uko
Umoh, the State APC Vice Chairman for Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial
District who represented the State Chairman Dr Amadu Atai, said that the
PDP being heavily factionalized would fade away from Akwa Ibom politics
in 2019.
He charged the defectors to return to their wards to join existing APC members to preach the message of change.
Mr
Iboro Akpan, a former leader of Ikono Legislative Council, who spoke on
behalf of the defectors, assured APC of their total commitment and said
he was making history after former President Olusegun Obasanjo as the
second former PDP member to publicly shred his membership card.