With the planned defection of Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) within the week, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senate Caucus is already shopping for his replacement, BusinessDay has learnt.
It was reliably gathered that the PDP Senate Caucus is already in talks with the national leadership of the party, with a view to finding a suitable replacement for the former governor of oil-rich Akwa-Ibom State.
Akpabio was elected as the Senate Minority Leader at the inception of the Eighth Senate in 2015 despite being a first time senator, a position usually occupied by ranking senators.
Findings showed that there are 11 other PDP senators from the South-South geopolitical zone where Akpabio hails from. And that the Party and the Caucus are already looking at the lawmakers from the region with a view to arriving at a consensus.
Investigations also revealed that a few senators are already making overtures to their colleagues with a view to emerging as Minority Leader.
The 11 PDP senators from the region include: Bassey Albert Akpan (Akwa-Ibom North-East), Foster Ogola (Bayelsa West), Ben Murray-Bruce (Bayelsa East), Emmanuel Paulker (Bayelsa Central), Rose Oko (Cross River North) and Gershom Bassey (Cross River South).
Others are: Peter Nwaboshi (Delta North), James Manager (Delta South), Clifford Ordia (Edo Central), Mathew Urhoghide (Edo South) and Osinakachukwu Ideozu (Rivers West).
With six months to the 2019 general elections, some observers say Akpabio’s defection may hand the APC, which only recently lost about 14 senators including Senate President Bukola Saraki to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a massive boost in the South-South.
With the planned defection billed for Wednesday at an elaborate ceremony in Akwa-Ibom State, the development will increase the number of APC senators in the South-South from six to seven. The other APC lawmakers are: Nelson Effiong (Akwa-Ibom South), John Enoh (Cross River Central), Ovie Omo-Agege (Delta Central), Francis Alimikhena (Edo North), Andrew Uchendu (Rivers East) and Magnus Abe (Rivers South-East).
A high ranking member of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) informed BusinessDay that plot by senators elected on the party’s platform to remove Akpabio as Minority Leader was halted by the national leadership of the party four months ago.
He pointed out that Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, had prevailed on the party leadership at the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting last week to hasten the exit of his estranged political godfather on grounds of anti-party activities.
The party chieftain said after a meeting between the Caucus and party leadership, the latter argued that removing the former governor as Minority Leader would plunge the party into crisis.
“We prevailed on them (PDP senators) to stay action and they heeded our call. We held a marathon meeting at the weekend and there will be a follow-up meeting this week to arrive at a consensus. For us, there are no preferred candidate for the position. Our minds are open”, the party’s official who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed.
Also, a PDP lawmaker who did not want his name mentioned in print, accused the Minority Leader of not properly steering the opposition to play its rightful role.
The lawmaker who said he was among the few senators who opposed Akpabio’s emergence in 2015, accused him of not being vocal enough in opposing unpopular policies of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.
“We have since lost confidence in him. That was why we moved to replace him in April this year but we were prevailed upon by the party to sheathe our swords. Now, we have been justified. From day one, he was a mole in our party,” the PDP senator told BusinessDay.
