FORMER Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has revealed that his heart was with President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 even though he voted for former President Goodluck Jonathan in the election.
The two-time Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governor and Senate Minority Leader until recently, led Akwa Ibom All Progressive Congress (APC) stakeholders to see President Buhari on Monday at the presidential villa, Abuja.
Fielding questions from reporters, he said he voted for Jonathan because he was from the South-South as well for the fact that himself was a PDP chieftain.
He said: “In 2015, we had a son of the Niger Delta, former President Goodluck Jonathan contesting the election and I was also a chieftain of the PDP.
I was also the Chairman of PDP Governors Forum. So, in spite of the fact that I believe strongly that the current President needed to be supported, there was no way I could play anti-party activity in 2015. So, I voted for PDP.
“But today, I am at liberty to exercise my franchise and that means I am with my body and soul that is with my supporters and my family and as a leader, we are going out there en masse in our thousands to cast our votes for the President in 2019 and I am saying this with emphasis.
“In 2019, Akwa Ibom State will be the first to be pronounced APC both in the governorship and the presidential election.”
Akpabio alleged that throughout the PDP’s 16 years in office at the federal level, the party did not build a kilometer of road in Akwa Ibom state, saying that over 260,000 PDP members have registered with APC.
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According to him, what remains in the PDP in Akwa Ibom state is just a carcass.
Akpabio assured that no single indigene of South-South will vote against President Buhari in 2019 as he was confident that there will be no defections from the APC that will affect its chances in the forthcoming elections.
He stated: “I believe strongly that the fact speaks for itself. For the calibre of personages you saw today, the strength of the delegation and the character of the delegation, the capacities and the personalities that you have witnessed are very clear that President Muhammadu Buhari will win Akwa Ibom State come 2019 general elections with landslide.
“I can predict that the first state in Nigeria to fall to the APC in 2019 Presidential election is Akwa Ibom State. No one can controvert this. l still speak with authority because I have my people’s backing to pronounce what I have just pronounced. Victory is for APC and victory is for Mr. President come 2019 in Akwa Ibom State.”
On whether he was satisfied with the appointments by the Buhari’s government as it concerns the South-South and Akwa Ibom State, he said as a new member in APC, his primary concern was for the President to win election in 2019.
Akpabio stated: “Well, being a new person in the APC federal, the federal government, it will be wrong for me to dabble into issues of appointment but if you were to ask me appointment in the Presidency from 1999 to 2015 and even 2017 in those days, I could say something but right now, I just came into APC and my focus is to ensure that APC remains here in the hilltop mansion of course in the Villa in 2019.
“I am assuring you that we are not only going to win, the President will also win Akwa Ibom State.”
He advised the President not to listen to any governor, especially the PDP governors, who he said that will try to enter into the deal for the 2019 and pledge to support him for presidency while seeking their own return ticket.
Also speaking, the APC leader in Akwa Ibom State who read the address, Chief Don Etiebet said that all the political heavyweights in Akwa Ibom state had joined the APC.
Among members of the delegation were Umana Umana, Nkere Nsima, Otoekong Jackson Sunny Udoh, and Eseme Oyibo.
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