JUST IN: Akpabio Backs Atiku For Presidency, Eyes VP Slot
Former Senate Minority Leader, and Leader of the APC in Akwa Ibom, Senator Godswill Akpabio has allegedly commence moves to return to his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party following the emergence of former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the party’s Presidential candidate on Sunday.
Akpabio’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom who confirmed the development, said the Senator Akpabio brought and endorsed Atiku as his preferred candidate that should be adopted by the state.
Jackson whose opinion was corroborated by another Media aide of the former minority leader Mfonobong Usoroh, said, “Senator Akpabio, even before he moved to the APC, brought and endorsed Atiku as the state’s candidate. Did they keep to that vision?”
On her part, Mfonobong Usoroh eulogized her boss for his vision in supporting Atiku, describing the former VP as the choice of her boss in the general elections.
Few weeks before his defection to the APC, the former Akwa Ibom Governor had accompanied Atiku Abubakar and his campaign team that visited Governor Udom Emmanuel at the Government House, Uyo to seek the support for his presidential ambition.
Akpabio who was accompanied by wife, Unoma, openly canvassed support for Atiku Abubakar’s presidential bid, and later hosted him and his campaign team at his Ukana country home in Essien Udim local government.
Impeccable sources say Senator Akpabio had lobbied to be the running mate to Atiku and was promised the slot, however he had doubts on Atiku’s chances to emerge as candidate of the PDP, considering the volume of aspirants he had to contain.
Survey reveals that immediately Atiku was declared the Presidential candidate of PDP, Godswill Akpabio started making frantic moves to reach out to Atiku’s camp, weighing the option of jettisoning his support for Buhari.
Our source hinted that the former Senate Minority Leader is regretting his decision to dump the PDP for APC and has reached out to the PDP candidate.
Speaking through his media aide, Jackson Udom on Sunday, Akpabio who celebrated Atiku’s victory at the PDP primaries, recalled how he supported his ambition while he was in the PDP.
An APC chieftain who is close to Senator Akpabio disclosed that the Senator was considering dumping outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari for Atiku Abubakar who stands a brighter chance to wrestle power from the APC federal government.
