Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has hinted at dumping the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying it is now time to move after wide consultation.
Similarly, the President of Ijaw National Congress (INC), Prof Okaba Benjamin, yesterday, also said there’s nothing wrong if the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, decides to defect to APC.
Speaking at a town hall meeting in Ikot Abasi, Eno said, “It is time to move” and align the state to APC at the federal level, a decision he said was taken after extensive consultations.
“We are progressively moving forward, linking Akwa Ibom to the centre. I know you’re going with us. Are you going with us, so we can connect to the centre?
“We thank you for your support. I’ve gone round to consult, and so we have done enough consultation. The time has come for us to move, and we will go to where God is leading us.”
He encouraged the people not to be afraid, adding: “Believe in us. Believe in President Bola Tinubu because the future is bright. We are already a minority state in Nigeria. If we come again and start breaking ourselves into pieces, we become the minority of the minorities and cannot get anything.”
Eno has always spoken highly of Tinubu, stressing that the President would remain in power till 2031.
ON Fubara, the INC leader said Nigerians no longer consider defection as a big deal because Tinubu might decide to join PDP if he sees the party as a veritable platform.
Benjamin’s remark came amid reports that Fubara was planning to dump the PDP for the APC. This followed Fubara’s recent visit to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to seek reconciliation with two APC governors. Fubara, who was suspended for six months over the political crisis in Rivers, met with Tinubu for the second time a few days back.
However, Benjamin said: “Nigeria has no political parties” but platforms for transmission. Featuring on Channels Television’s ‘Morning Brief’, Benjamin said: “If a former vice presidential candidate defects, what’s wrong with Fubara defecting to APC? There is nothing wrong with that. We don’t have political parties; we have platforms put together for people to transmit from one position to another.
“What I am trying to say is, Fubara said he would do anything for peace in Rivers. However, Nigerians should not interpret this as him planning to defect.”
