By Our Reporter
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| Senator Godswill Akpabio and VP Osinbajo |
A source in the People Democratic Party, PDP has confirmed that the Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, is considering leaving the party.
Recall Some media organisations had reported on Friday that Akpabio met with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in Aso Rock for two hours and that the senator was planning to leave the PDP for the ruling APC.
The source, however, claimed that Akpabio was considering leaving the PDP because the APC—led government was threatening to use the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission against him if he did not work to deliver his state, Akwa Ibom, for the ruling party in 2019.
The close party source said, “What is happening is that the APC has threatened to deal with him, using the EFCC and he doesn’t want that at all.
“Although, we are all pleading with him not to leave the party (PDP), but he is afraid. He doesn’t want to be in EFCC’s net at all. He is really under pressure but we hope that he would listen to us.”
Senator Nelson Effiong from Akwa Ibom South had in 2017 joined the APC from the PDP.
A ranking senator told Daily Trust that Akpabio had since perfected his plans to dump the PDP.
“If not for the impunity of Saraki, he (Akpabio) would have announced his defection penultimate Tuesday when we proceeded on recess. He was to announce it that day but Saraki stopped him,” the senator, who did not want be named, said.
Our correspondent reports that if Akpabio decamps, he would be the second senator from the oil rich Akwa Ibom to join the APC. In January last year, Senator Nelson Effiong (PDP, Akwa-Ibom South) joined the APC.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo 0n Thursday met with the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, reportedly to perfect the lawmaker’s defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The former governor of Akwa Ibom State arrived the State House Villa by 3.06pm with the Presidential Aide on National Assembly (Senate), Senator Ita Enang.
The duo went straight into the Vice President’s wing at the State House Villa. The two Akwa Ibom politicians came an hour after President Muhammadu Buhari departed for Bauchi State on an official engagement.
The meeting, which lasted till around 5.20pm, came on the heels of Akpabio’s defection plot. Akpabio is said to be mulling defection over his rift with the current governor of Akwa Ibom, Udom Emmanuel.
Our correspondent reports that while Akpabio was with the vice president, the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of his party, the PDP, was also going on, with Senate President Bukola Saraki and other defectors from the APC in attendance.
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