Akwa Ibom APC suspends official accused of secretly maintaining his PDP membership

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ukanafun Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State has suspended its chapter treasurer, Ukobong Ibekwe, over allegations that he has refused to resign his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In a letter dated 7 January and addressed to the Akwa Ibom State Chairperson of the APC, Stephen Ntukekpo, the Ukanafun chapter of the APC accused Mr Ibekwe of secretly retaining his membership and executive position in the opposition PDP, while occupying a key office in the APC.

The letter, signed by the APC Chairperson in Ukanafun, Akaninyene Ukpanah, stated that Mr Ibekwe had defected to the PDP during the 2023 general elections but later returned to the APC, following the defection of Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State in June last year, and a waiver granted to returning APC members.

However, the party said its investigations showed that Mr Ibekwe “is still a chapter officer in PDP and returned to our party (APC) and also took up his former office as a chapter treasurer.”

The APC said Mr Ibekwe has been attending meetings of both the APC and the PDP in Ukanafun, a conduct the party described as a grave violation of its constitution.

The APC further alleged that Mr Ibekwe was “seen at the residence of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, in Ukana, receiving rice meant for APC chapter officers and also those meant for opposition parties.”

The letter also accused him of financial misconduct, claiming that “the stipends that Governor Eno pays to chapter officers of our party, Mr Ibekwe received double by virtue of still being a chapter officer in PDP.”

Citing Article 21:2 (vii) of the party’s constitution, the APC said Mr Ibekwe “has therefore committed offences against our party.”

“He is hereby suspended from the party executive in Ukanafun as the party will not condone impersonation and dishonest practices,” the letter stated.

PREMIUM TIMES could not immediately reach Mr Ibekwe for comment.

“Akwa Ibom United’

The accusation against the suspended official raises once again some questions about the sincerity of the loyalty to the APC in Akwa Ibom by the many PDP members who claimed they defected to ruling party because of Governor Eno.

It is difficult to extricate Mr Eno’s “Akwa Ibom United” political slogan from this particular challenge by the APC and the PDP in the oil-rich state.

Before defecting from the PDP to the APC, Mr Eno played down party politics, saying that political parties are “merely vehicles” for seeking elected offices.

At the time, Mr Eno had encouraged the PDP members in Akwa Ibom, including his administration officials, to accept, show respect, and work with the APC leaders and members in the state.

After his defection, the governor doubled down – integrating the phrase “Akwa Ibom United,” which he used to refer to governance across party lines, into the APC slogan in the state.

In September last year, during the controversy over the action of some of his aides who went to the Uyo airport to welcome his predecessor, Udom Emmanuel, Mr Eno said, “We are running Akwa Ibom United. We respect our leaders across party lines, but that does not change the fact that I am in the APC now to support President Bola Tinubu and Mr Akpabio.”

When asked if his predecessor, who has remained in the PDP, was happy with him, Mr Eno said, “I will not fight my boss (referring to the former governor, Mr Emmanuel) or any leader”.

“We are in good terms,” he added.

In October, less than a month after Mr Eno’s remarks, the police withdrew security from Mr Emmanuel’s residence, on the governor’s order, indicating that the relationship between the two leaders had broken down.

Michael Bush, a renowned journalist and a PDP chieftain in Akwa Ibom, in November, accused Governor Eno of “deceiving” the people with his “Akwa Ibom United” political slogan.

“Apologise today for the euphemism or rather the deceit you call Akwa Ibom United and go on to run your APC system because even the blind can see what you are doing from the pulpit of governance,” Mr Bush, the CEO of Bush House Nigeria, a media outfit in Uyo, said to Mr Eno, following the governor’s sacking of two of his political aides for attending the PDP national convention in Ibadan, Oyo State.

‘There are betrayers inside his cabinet’

“Those with him (Governor Eno) are still PDP members. In their real conscience, deep down in Umo Eno, he knows he has betrayed the party that gave him a ticket.

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And so he’s living with betrayal,” Mfon Ben, a lawyer and former chairman of Uyo Local Government Council, told PREMIUM TIMES in December.

“And so you cannot expect that a man who lives in betrayal cannot expect betrayal. He knows very well that there are betrayers inside his cabinet because he knows their sympathy comes from where they came from. He knows they are following him because of what he can provide.”