Former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, has accused the Federal Government under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of failing to construct even a one-kilometre road in the state during the 16 years that it held sway.
Akpabio, who currently represents Akwa Ibom North-West senatorial district in the National Assembly, made the claim after he led an Akwa Ibom delegation to the Presidential Villa to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday.
Recall that Akpabio, who was elected governor and senator on the platform of the PDP, recently defected to the APC.
He said that the APC administration would remedy the situation and boasted that the party would win by a landslide in the state in 2019.
Akpabio, a former Minority Leader in the senate, disclosed that although he was a member of the PDP his heart was with Buhari during the 2015 presidential election.
The senator said that more than 266,000 new members had joined the APC since he decamped to the party, adding that only the carcass of the PDP remained in the state.
He said, “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 is 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.”
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Asked about alleged lopsided appointments by Buhari that appeared to not favour the South, including Akwa Ibom, Akpabio said, “Well being a new person in the APC 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 come 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.”
Speaking on 16 years of PDP, Akpabio said, “ You need to know that I was governor of Akwa Ibom State for eight years and in the eight years of being a governor I cannot remember when there was one kilometre of road that was done by the federal government in my state , that is the first thing .
“ The second aspect of it is that in terms of appointment , Akwa Ibom people have never faired this well since 1999 even under the PDP administration . I am beginning to think that the reason why we were not even given enough appointments under the PDP administration was because they took for granted that Akwa Ibom was a PDP state .
“ But this President went out of his way to give a lot of our children the opportunity to have sensitive appointments at the federal level and we are very grateful .
“ I know that there was a time when I was governor, we had just a minister of state for many years and today we have a full – fledged Minister of Budget and National Planning as well as other appointments . So we are very satisfied and we believe strongly that we have to reciprocate this gesture by voting solidly for Mr . President. ”