Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa
At least 3,000 supporters of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in Akwa Ibom at the weekend, defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), to support the Bola Tinubu presidential ambition ahead of 2023 polls.
The PDP faithful under the aegis of G-100 were led by their leader, Chief Sunday Ekwai and were received into the APC by Wilson, during the inauguration of the state chapters of PRIFGLA, and The Asiwaju Group in Uyo.
While receiving the decampees, Wilson commended them for embracing the APC.
He said that G-100 has a support base of at least three thousand members, cutting across Oron and other parts of the state.
He said the people of Akwa Ibom are prepared to deliver Tinubu and Shettima in 2023, saying that the defection was as a result of Tinubu’s track record.
He also urged the state executive members of the PRIGLA and that of The Asiwaju Group (TAG), not to relent in preaching the Bola Tinubu gospel across the length and breadth of the state.
He also assured those who are in the Tinubu/Shettima project that they will not be abandoned if the APC wins the presidential election.
He described Tinubu as the best choice for the country.
Earlier, Ekwai, the Coordinator of the G-100, who spoke in Oron language, assured the APC that they will work tirelessly to ensure that the party wins the 2023 general elections.
He added that he and his members numbering over 3,000 will give the Akwa Ibom APC the needed support to succeed, just like they did while in the PDP.
He thanked Wilson for the good work he has been doing for the APC in the South-South.
Also speaking, the State Chairman of the APC, who was represented by the Youth Leader, Dr. Clement Essien, commended PRIGLA and TAG for the good work they are doing for the APC in Akwa Ibom.
According to him, the APC now has an added advantage because of the level of work which the leadership of the two groups have done in the state.
He said that the name, Asiwaju, is a household name, and that is why many people have started decamping to the APC to support the presidential aspiration of the former Lagos State Governor.
He added that the APC remains committed to delivering Tinubu come 2023.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the occasion, Christopher Ekong, recounted how Tinubu’s 25-year developmental plan for Lagos repositioned the state, while the APC’s Senatorial candidate, Hon. Emaeyak, also described Tinubu as the right choice for the people of Akwa-Ibom.
Also, a representative of the party from the national secretariat, Ini Akpan Morgan, noted that Tinubu’s candidacy is divine, as he recounted how all efforts to stop his presidential ambition failed, and how he eventually became the party’s flag bearer, to the awe of those opposing him.
He stated that Tinubu is a sellable commodity and urged the newly inaugurated excos, from the state to the ward levels, to work hard so that the APC can win the 2023 presidential election.
In their separate remarks, the National Coordinator of TAG, Oyinkansola Okewoye, the co-national coordinator, Abduralzak Danjuma, and the Contact and Mobilization Person for TAG, Dr. Yetunde Adeniyi, all commended the people of Akwa-Ibom for their resolve to support Tinubu.
They said the state was very important to them because their son, God’swill Akpabio, was one of the first persons to step down from the Tinubu Presidency, saying that they will not be forgotten when the dream comes to fruition.
They said they have involved major key players and stakeholders in the south-south to guide the group’s strategic plans to work positively for the benefit of Tinubu in the forthcoming presidential election.
They also commended Pastor Reuben Wilson for singlehandedly sponsoring TAG and PRIFGLA campaigns in the south-south, describing him as a blessing to them.
The Coordinator of PRIFGLA in Akwa-Ibom State, Pastor Akanimoh Umoh, and his TAG counterpart, Dr Victor Akan, also assured the national leadership of the APC and their presidential candidate, Tinubu, of their unwavering support in the state.
They vowed to embark on a door-to-door campaign for Tinubu and the Akwa-Ibom State APC Governorship candidate.
Earlier on, the team visited the traditional ruler of Uyo, His Royal Majesty, Edidem Sylvanus Effiong Oko JP, and the leadership of the Arewa Community in Akwa-Ibom led by the Seriki, Alhaji Sadouki Hassan, to receive their blessings, ahead of the campaigns.
The Arewa Community assured them that they are original members of the APC and that they will ensure that they cast their votes for Tinubu and Shettima in 2023.
They said they believe Akwa-Ibom will be more conducive for their businesses if the APC wins both at the state and national levels.
The team was also at the APC Secretariat in Uyo where deliberations were held on how to take over the state for the party.