By Yemi Adebowale
Former Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Akpanudoedehe yesterday cried out, saying the New PDP elements in APC are calling for his head and moving to send him out of the party he helped to build in Akwa Ibom State.
Akpanudoedehe, in a statement yesterday, specifically accused the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Nsima Ekere, and “his collaborators” of allegedly importing corruption into the APC in the state.
The former minister alleged that his suspension was sponsored and stage-managed by Ekere unconstitutionally.
He said: “These people wanted me dead in PDP. They charged me for treason and murder. Now, they crossed over to APC, which we built by our sweat and blood, and they now want to push me out.”
Udoedehe alleged that Ekere and co induced some people to sign a document allegedly suspending him from the party.
“What they are doing is un-constitutional; anything founded on corruption cannot stand. It was fed by corruption. They are trying to muzzle the old ACN tendency within the APC out of the party.
“They brought in a fake ward chairman to say they had suspended me. They paid people money to remove me from the party I built. The people who wanted me dead in PDP are now in APC and are behind this plot. I was not part of those who engaged in protest during the South-south meeting. It was South-south zonal meeting and the state APC cannot take any action as a result of the meeting. They lacked the locus standi to do so. Their plan is to stop us from participating in the mini congress. But they will not succeed,” Udoedehe said..
He also alleged that the National leadership of the party had been aloof to the situation in Akwa Ibom chapter of the party.
“The leadership in Abuja has been non-challant. The South-south APC set up the Kokori Committee to resolve the problem in the APC in Akwa Ibom. But nothing has been done about it,” said the former minister.
Blaming the former PDP members who joined to form APC as his problem, he said: “The former PDP members, PDP defectors, who joined the party have taken all appointments due to the state – seven of them in all. “They are Federal minister, Special Adviser to President on National Assembly Matter, Commissioner in NPC, MD of Oil &Gas Free Zone, House of Reps from the state and Ambassadorial Slot of Akwa Ibom.
“They have taken over the party we built. Ekere removed the state Chairman of ACN, made him Chairman of Eket Local Government just to diminish us in the state and take over the party.
“We want more people in APC, but these people give the impression that everything is closed as if we don’t want more people, which is false. They have the audacity and moral authority to assault the sensibilities of the people.”
Efforts to speak to Ekere on the allegations were not successful yesterday, as his phone line was switched off. A text message sent to him was also unheeded.
