* 77 Ors Embrace The Party in Abak
The Young Progressives Party (YPP) in Akwa Ibom State is certainly enjoying the beginning of its best political moments as the camps of the opposition parties seem to be emptying daily in its favour.
Just recently, the son-in-law to Senator Akon Eyakenyi, Akwa Ibom PDP governorship running mate, Engr. Kininyi Edubio, led over 1,327 others to decamp from PDP in Udung Uko to YPP.
Edubio, a former PDP aspirant for 2023 Oro Federal House of Representatives, who also contested twice for chairmanship in the area, while dumping PDP, said the party lacks the sincerity and genuine people-oriented programmes to change the fortunes of the masses for the better.
A few days after, Nsit Ubium, the home local government of the PDP governorship candidate, Mr Umo Eno, fell into the hands of YPP, when over 1,431 voters dumped what they termed “the torn umbrella” and other parties.
Among prominent decampees was Mr. Anthony Akpan, a candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the Nsit Ubium state constituency of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, who stepped down from the contest to formerly join forces with YPP to enthrone Senator Albert Bassey Akpan (OBA) as the next Governor of the state.
“I have collapsed my structure for the YPP. The Ika, Obot Akara, Etim Ekpo and Ini chapter chairmen of ADC defect alongside me to carry the leaves as the only sign of hope for the Akwa Ibom people”, Akpan announced.
As if the torrents of defections from the various local governments visited by YPP in the last two weeks were not enough, the harvest kept yielding amazing outcomes at the weekend.
In an apparent confirmation of its growing acceptability by the masses, YPP recently received another batch of over 77 defectors from the African Democratic Congress in Abak, in one fell swoop.
Led by its chapter chairman, Obot Augustine Afangide, the entire 16- member executive of ADC defected “to support the emergence of Obong Bassey Albert Akpan’s gubernatorial aspiration to become the governor of Akwa Ibom State in line with his zeal to develop … and make it the land of fulfilment”.
In a letter dated September 1, 2022 and addressed to the state chairman of ADC, another 61 members, who listed their phone numbers, personally signed their resignations and subsequent move to YPP.
Receiving the new entrants, Sir Emem Akpabio, the chairman of OBA’s Campaign Council, assured them of equal treatment and opportunities within the fold.
He urged them to work harder to ensure victory for OBA and other YPP candidates, while encouraging more people to join what he described as “the movement to actualize God’s plan to liberate Akwa Ibom State”.
Rt Hon Friday Iwok, a former lawmaker, who facilitated the mass movement of the voters into the OBA camp, said more are expected soon to join the divine mission to recover, reconcile and reposition Akwa Ibom state.
