Ahead of his planned defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senate Minority Leader, Godswilll Akpabio on Sunday met with President Muhammadu Buhari in London.
The visit comes a day after the Presidency confirmed that Akpabio, a PDP lawmaker who represents Akwa Ibom North West in the National Assembly, will pitch his tent with the APC on Thursday this week.
Although details of the senator’s meeting with President Buhari is not yet known, there had been speculations that the immediate past Governor of Akwa Ibom State may defect from the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on Prosecution, Okoi Obono-Obla, had on Saturday announced that the Senator will be formally received into APC on Thursday, August 9, 2018.
The presidential aide posted on Facebook, a picture of Akpabio and the national leader of the APC, Bola Tinubu, noting that there will be an APC rally in the state on Thursday to receive Akpabio to APC.
The ruling party has been hit with gale of defections to the main opposition party in recent times. Some APC chieftains that have defected to PDP recently include: Senate President Bukola Saraki; former Speaker of the House of Representatives and Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal; Governors Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara) and Samuel Ortom (Benue).
Others are: former Kano State Governor and senator representing Kano Central Senatorial District Rabiu Kwankwaso; former PDP National Chairman and serving senator, Barnabas Gemade.
Others are: Ahmed Ibeto, Nigeria’s Ambassador to South Africa, who recently resigned his appointment and pitched his tent with the PDP; Dino Melaye, Chairman Senate Committee on FCT and over 50 federal lawmakers.
It was, however, gathered that Akpabio’s estranged political godson and governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel, will not defect with him to APC.
OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja
