It was understandable that a photograph of Senator Godswill Akpabio and the two living former presidents of the fourth republic, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and Dr. Olusegun Obasanjo at the wedding of Mr. Timi Alaibe’s daughter two weeks ago would captivate social media commentators.
The photograph showed Akpabio maybe, trying to gesture towards Presidents: Jonathan and Obasanjo who both looked straight and sternly in front as if unaware of his presence. According to the social media gossips, it was an open rebuff of Akpabio by the two presidents.
Since there was no soundbite to indicate a rebuff from Dr. Jonathan or bluster from Dr. Obasanjo, the insinuations on social media that the two presidents shamed Senator Akpabio should not be wholly assumed.
But was there any reason for such animosity between Presidents Obasanjo and Jonathan on one hand and Senator Akpabio on the other? The social media commentators may have had reason to insinuate as such.
The latest of such was the recent report where Akpabio was quoted to have said that the PDP did nothing for the South-South in 16 years.
The assertion at a function in Akwa Ibom, in early November, preceded the encounter between the former Senate Minority leader and the two former presidents.
Akpabio’s assertion, whether true or not, would undoubtedly have been piercing, particularly to the two men. It would also have been emotionally touching considering the relationship that they individually had with the former governor at one time.
Indeed, when in early August, the special assistant to the president on prosecutions, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla told the world that Akpabio had agreed to defect to the All Progressives Congress, APC, one of those who was pained, but understood the difficult circumstances of the former governor was Chief Olisa Metuh, the erstwhile PDP spokesman.
Metuh was in good position to speak. He had gone through Obono-Obla’s prisms and even though physically damaged, he remains politically unbowed. He had at that time called for prayers for Akpabio noting the loneliness out there when being subjected to interrogations and trial. He, however, asserted that Akpabio could not in this world criticize the PDP after joining the APC.
So, when Akpabio hit at the PDP that it did nothing in the last 16 years, the indictment was squarely on Obasanjo and Jonathan who between them were fully in charge of the PDP for all, but three of the 16 years. Of those 16 years, Akpabio also kept the watch in Akwa Ibom for eight years and was also a commissioner for six years before then.
Another former PDP governor whose rant against the party has continued to shock some is Mr. Sullivan Chime. However, those who recall the cruel treatment meted to Chime’s former deputy, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi would not be totally perplexed.
The former Enugu State governor in an interview published in the newspapers this week, hit at the PDP saying that the PDP in 16 years, did not do as much as the APC has done for the Southeast in three years. He, however, did not say whether it was in infrastructure, appointments or whatever.
Despite the fact that Mr. Obono-Obla did not patronize him as he did Akpabio, yet Chime who single handedly successfully nominated Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as his successor has been lamenting…. That is despite the fact that Ugwuanyi has turned out as arguably the meekest of all governors since the advent of the fourth republic.
Remarkably, Chime has not been able to articulate a single reason for his defection. Many stakeholders are still perplexed over his bitterness towards the party that he was a member of for 17 years. However, the belief is that Chime cannot stomach the fact that Ugwuanyi has against expectations given deserved honour to Senator Ike Ekweremadu, the deputy president of the Senate. Few would forget the drama between Chime and Ekweremadu in the weeks leading to the PDP Senate nomination exercise when the former governor promised to retire Ekweremadu from the Senate and politics by taking over the Enugu West Senate seat.
It is the opinion of some that Chime cannot still fathom Ekweremadu as his senator and hence his defection to the APC.
Willy-nilly, for Akpabio, Chime and lately, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, whenever they criticize the PDP, it would always be one finger pointing at the PDP and three pointing backwards!
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