The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State, on Saturday, suffered a devastating blow with the defection of the party’s leader in Ika Local Government Area, Dr Francis Udoikpong.
Udoikpong, a PDP State Caucus member and former State Commissioner for Health, defected with about 5,000 others including Sir Godwin Idungafa, a former Ika Local Government Vice Chairman, Mr Harry Eduo, a former Ika local government secretary and councillor and Uyo Udom, a long-standing lawyer and politician.
The defection of the Ika local government area PDP leader is coming barely a month after Deputy Inspector-General of Police Udom Ekpoudom (rtd) and Obong Otu Robert Akpan, his counterparts in Etim Ekpo and Ini local government areas, respectively, joined the APC together with Senator Godswill Akpabio, the former Senate Minority Leader.
Udoikpong, also a former Chairman of Ika Local Government and immediate past Chairman of the State Agency for the Control of AIDS (SACA) who spoke on behalf of the defectors, said they were leaving the PDP because the Udom Emmanuel Administration had completely neglected Ika, a boundary local government area with Abia State, in the scheme of things and infrastructure.
He condemned the inclusion of their names in the Udom Emmanuel gubernatorial campaign organization without their consent and demanded that their names be removed.
Mr Ini Okopido, the State Chairman of APC, who received the defectors, said with their coming Ika was now completely APC.
Mr Okopido, himself an indigene of Ika, assured them of accommodation and equal rights as old members in the APC.
Hon Gabriel Toby, the House of Assembly Member for Ika/Etim Ekpo State Constituency who joined the APC recently, told the mammoth crowd that with all the major Ika political gladiators in one camp APC would sweep the 2019 elections in the area.
Among the APC chieftains that witnessed the defection were Sir Ernest Ukpong and Engr Akanimo Edet, former House of Assembly Members and Chief Edem Obot, the Adaha Ika.
