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

&NewLine;<figure class&equals;"wp-block-image size-large"><img src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2020&sol;09&sol;Akpabio-and-Udoedehe&period;jpg" alt&equals;"" class&equals;"wp-image-5059"&sol;><&sol;figure>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>All Progressives Congress&comma; APC&comma; is sinking in Akwa Ibom State over 2023 general election interests&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>The supremacy war is technically between the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs&comma; <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;">Senator<&sol;a> Godswill Akpabio and Senator John James Akpanudoedehe&period;  Udoedehe is the Secretary of the All Progressives Congress national caretaker committee&period; The fight which has gotten messier in Akwa Ibom state is happening as the clock ticks towards 2023&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Insiders disclose that Akpabio has allegedly vowed to do everything to frustrate Udoedehe&&num;8217&semi;s 2023 Governorship ambition&period; The showdown&comma; orchestrated by the party stalwarts&comma; has further polarised APC&comma; threatening what is left of its existence&period;&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Since Akpabio’s &nbsp&semi;appointment as Minister a year ago&comma; has completely sidelined the former FCT Junior Minister in all his dealings&period; He appoints only his core loyalists from his Annang tribe into available positions in NDDC&period; He sidelines Udoedehe and all his supporters&comma; mostly Ibibios&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>However&comma; Akpabio’s desire became threatened when <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;">President Buhari<&sol;a>&comma; surprisingly made Udoedehe an acting National Secretary of the ruling party&period; The appointment automatically positioned him as the leader of the party in Akwa Ibom&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Meanwhile&comma; Udoedehe has repeatedly fumed at the &&num;8216&semi;orchestrated attacks&&num;8217&semi; by the Minister against another <a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;punchng&period;com">Ibibio son<&sol;a>&comma; Obong Nsima Ekere&period; This is a result of  Akpabio&&num;8217&semi;s repeated comments that Ekere was among those who caused the rot in the NDDC&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;&&num;8220&semi;Stealing from the pulpit and also stealing the pulpit&comma;&&num;8221&semi; Akpabio has said severally&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<h2 class&equals;"wp-block-heading"><strong>RENEWED WAR<&sol;strong><&sol;h2>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>The renewed war between the two has led to boycott of the forthcoming local government areas election in the state&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Sources said Akpabio believes any election now&comma; Udodehe would have the upper hand in selecting candidates of the party&period; Hence his decision to collude with acting state chairman&comma; Mr Ita Udosen&comma; to announce a total boycott by the party&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>Senator Udoedehe had&comma; in a recent chat announced that the 2023 Governorship election would be his sure win&period; He vows that &nbsp&semi;nobody would stop him&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>It would be recalled that Udoedehe had a fierce battle with Chief Akpabio in 2011&comma; during the latter&&num;8217&semi;s reelection bid&period; This culminated in the loss of several lives and properties&comma;&nbsp&semi;as well as incarceration of Chief Udoedehe for several weeks&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>The two only united in 2018 when Akpabio defected suddenly to the APC&comma; ahead of the 2019 elections&period; But <strong> Akpabio<&sol;strong> opted to support Nsima Ekere ahead of Udoedehe as gubernatorial candidate&period; <&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>There has not been any meeting of the leaders of the APC in the state since its abysmal show in the last general elections&period; The &nbsp&semi;situation is further compounded by the recent demise of the state chairman&comma; Mr Ini Okopido&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;Udoedehe had hoped to use the local government election&comma; to reinforce his structure in the state&period; This decision&comma; however&comma; has unfortunately&comma; &nbsp&semi;been thwarted by the boycott&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;So far&comma; you can see that all those appointed recently to take part in national assignments are  from <a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;">Udoedehe&&num;8217&semi;s <&sol;a>loin&period; This has made Akpabio to be very uncomfortable in the All Progressives Congress&comma;&&num;8221&semi; the source concluded&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;