– Isong Akpabio, elder brother to Senator Akpabio
***Scores Gov Emmanuel pass mark
Chief Isong Akpabio, elder brother to the former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, has revealed how sad and broken hearted he and the entire Akpabio clan had been over the defection of his younger brother to the All Progressive Congress (APC) from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking to our correspondent in Lagos when he arrived the country from a foreign trip, the senior Akpabio said he had yet to meet with the Senator and that he was confused and shocked over the recent development.
“Since I came back (from abroad), I have not gone to my village and I am yet to meet him (Senator) in person. I know many people are confused just as I and the entire family are.. I have talked with some folks on phone and they said it’s something they never expected to happen. I know some people may be very happy it happened, and some may be very unhappy it happened,” he said.
Isong who is a top member of the PDP in Akwa Ibom State and one – time governorship aspirant, however stated that in spite of the fact that his brother has decamped, he remains in PDP because, according to him, Akwa Ibom remains a PDP state and the Senator’s defection will not make APC win in Akwa Ibom
‘’Akwa -Ibom State is a PDP state. Despite Godswill’s defection, I will not decamp to APC, and people in the state will not decamp just because one person has decamped. 99.9% of the Akpabio family members are PDP. We are known to be democrats right from the NCNC days.’’
Speaking on the relationship between his Senator brother and the incumbent governor of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Udom Emmanuel, Chief Isong Akpabio said he believes the twosome are still the best of friends.
Assessing the governor’s performance since he came to office a little above three years ago, the senior Akpabio said, “Udom has not dissapointed the people of Akwa Ibom. He has done his best based on the resources available to him. I score him a pass mark.”
It would be recalled that Senator Godswill Akpabio defected to APC recently. This came on the heels of the celebrated defection of Senate President Bukola Saraki’s defection back to PDP from the ruling party, APC.