By ‘Dotun Akintomide
Following the imminent announcement of Senator Godswill Akpabio’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed pleasure with his decision to join its fold, having suffered some defections in recent weeks.
The New Diplomat had reported how top APC leaders have been courting the Senate Minority leader since the rift between him and his estranged political Godson, Governor Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom reached a crescendo, leading to rumours making the round about his defection.
On Sunday in Lagos, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said his party welcomes his defection as the APC continues to push for a reverse defection from the PDP fold to counter balance what it lost in recent gale of defections.
“I welcome it (defection of Akpabio) because all politics is local. All those who have left us did that for purely personal reasons.
“Since they say politics is a game of number, of course we welcome gladly the defection of the Minority leader like they say it is one-one goalless draw.
On whether Akpabio was being positioned for the position of the Senate President Mohammed said,” that I don’t know”.
Mohammed said that the recently defection of some governors, state and federal lawmakers to the main opposition party, PDP, was nothing to worry about.
“There have been so much hype about this defection, and to me it’s nothing but a storm in a tea cup. We must appreciate the fact that at the end of the day, all politics is local.
“One should ask, what is the electoral value of these decampees? In order words, today in Sokoto State, what’s the electoral value of those who have decamped?
He stated that since the day the Senate President, Bukola Saraki lobbied the opposition party to become the Senate President, the relationship between the executive and legislature had been turbulent.
“In fact, we could not have suffered more as an executive in the hands of the legislature if a PDP person had been the senate president,” he said.
Akpabio, Senator representing Akwa Ibom North West District, is reported to have also visited President Muhammadu Buhari in London, currently in UK for a 10-day vacation.
Also a tweet by Bashir Ahmad Verified account @BashirAhmaad read: “Today in London, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, Senate Minority Leader visited President Muhammadu Buhari.
It would be recalled that last week he met with the National leader of APC, Bola Tinubu and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
