All Progressives Congress, APC, sinks in Akwa Ibom as Akpabio, Udoedehe fight over 2023

All Progressives Congress, APC, is sinking in Akwa Ibom State over 2023 general election interests.

The supremacy war is technically between the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio and Senator John James Akpanudoedehe.  Udoedehe is the Secretary of the All Progressives Congress national caretaker committee. The fight which has gotten messier in Akwa Ibom state is happening as the clock ticks towards 2023.

Insiders disclose that Akpabio has allegedly vowed to do everything to frustrate Udoedehe’s 2023 Governorship ambition. The showdown, orchestrated by the party stalwarts, has further polarised APC, threatening what is left of its existence. 

Since Akpabio’s  appointment as Minister a year ago, has completely sidelined the former FCT Junior Minister in all his dealings. He appoints only his core loyalists from his Annang tribe into available positions in NDDC. He sidelines Udoedehe and all his supporters, mostly Ibibios.

However, Akpabio’s desire became threatened when President Buhari, surprisingly made Udoedehe an acting National Secretary of the ruling party. The appointment automatically positioned him as the leader of the party in Akwa Ibom.

Meanwhile, Udoedehe has repeatedly fumed at the ‘orchestrated attacks’ by the Minister against another Ibibio son, Obong Nsima Ekere. This is a result of  Akpabio’s repeated comments that Ekere was among those who caused the rot in the NDDC.

 “Stealing from the pulpit and also stealing the pulpit,” Akpabio has said severally.

RENEWED WAR

The renewed war between the two has led to boycott of the forthcoming local government areas election in the state.

Sources said Akpabio believes any election now, Udodehe would have the upper hand in selecting candidates of the party. Hence his decision to collude with acting state chairman, Mr Ita Udosen, to announce a total boycott by the party.

Senator Udoedehe had, in a recent chat announced that the 2023 Governorship election would be his sure win. He vows that  nobody would stop him.

It would be recalled that Udoedehe had a fierce battle with Chief Akpabio in 2011, during the latter’s reelection bid. This culminated in the loss of several lives and properties, as well as incarceration of Chief Udoedehe for several weeks.

The two only united in 2018 when Akpabio defected suddenly to the APC, ahead of the 2019 elections. But  Akpabio opted to support Nsima Ekere ahead of Udoedehe as gubernatorial candidate. 

There has not been any meeting of the leaders of the APC in the state since its abysmal show in the last general elections. The  situation is further compounded by the recent demise of the state chairman, Mr Ini Okopido.

“Udoedehe had hoped to use the local government election, to reinforce his structure in the state. This decision, however, has unfortunately,  been thwarted by the boycott.

“So far, you can see that all those appointed recently to take part in national assignments are  from Udoedehe’s loin. This has made Akpabio to be very uncomfortable in the All Progressives Congress,” the source concluded.