Huge disappointment as Senator fails to defect to Akwa Ibom PDP at Udom’s endorsement rally

It was a huge disappointment for supporters of Governor Udom Emmanuel on Monday when Third Republic Senator Etang Umoyo, who was touted to return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), failed to show up at the PDP Eket Senatorial District rally for the endorsement of the governor for a second term.
No explanation was offered by the organizers of the event for the ex-Senator’s absence but a family source claimed the former Senator was hospitalized on Sunday.
Senator Umoyo, who represented Eket Senatorial District from 1992 to 1993, last Friday, held a chaotic meeting of some APC members in Esit Eket, his local government area to inform them of his defection, and the party members present challenged him with angry speeches and placards, accusing him of receiving N10 million from the governor to destroy APC in Esit Eket.
To make up for the vocal former Senator’s absence at the endorsement rally, Otuekong Idongesit Nkanga, the Director-General of Udom’s Campaign Organisation, hurriedly announced the defection of three APC members who are not from Eket Senatorial District and called the PDP state chairman, Obong Paul Ekpo, to receive them.
Dr Udoma Ekarika and Obong Anny Asikpo, two of the defectors, are from Ikot Ekpene senatorial district while Elder Emmanuel Udo, the immediate past APC Deputy Chairman, is from Uyo senatorial district.
Ekarika, who was lured into the PDP by the governor with the promise of Deputy Governor, alluded to this promise when he said: “I will be privileged and opportuned to be in your team. That is when I will tell you what the APC is in Akwa Ibom State.”