Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Friday hailed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, as the “National Leader of the winning faction” of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Akpabio made the remark during the commissioning of access roads to the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates in the Karsana district of the FCT, an event organised to commemorate President Bola Tinubu’s third year in office.
The comment came in response to Wike’s earlier introduction, in which the FCT Minister described Akpabio as an “uncommon performer” during his time as governor of Akwa Ibom State under the PDP.
Akpabio, however, urged members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Working Committee to disregard the compliment, explaining the context of his political journey.
“Members of the Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress, please ignore the comment of the minister that I was an uncommon performer in the PDP,” Akpabio said.
He noted that he had already served seven and a half years as governor by the time the APC was formed in 2014, having been sworn in in 2007 when the APC did not yet exist.
“I sometimes refer to myself as an ancestor,” Akpabio added, in apparent reference to his long tenure in the PDP before defecting.
The Senate President explained that as a “progressives minded person,” he naturally aligned with the APC when it was formed, describing it as his ideological home.
“So therefore, when the APC came to be; I discovered that that was my group and was in the wrong party called the PDP, so I exit early and joining the progressives,” he said.
Akpabio further remarked that the PDP subsequently fragmented following his departure and those of other key members. He then turned to Wike, acknowledging his influence in what remains of the opposition party.
“I recognize you as the National leader of the winning faction of the PDP because you are doing well,” Akpabio declared.
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