- Senate President Godswill Akpabio declared that his time spent in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was a period in the wrong political family, asserting that he found his true home upon joining the All Progressives Congress (APC).
- Akpabio highlighted the deep division within his former party, humorously labeling FCT Minister Nyesom Wike as the leader of the “winning faction” of the now-fragmented PDP.
- The Senate President praised Wike’s governance track record, noting that delivering premium public infrastructure has become an undeniable part of the FCT Minister’s political DNA since his days as Rivers State Governor.
The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has stirred fresh political conversations after openly declaring that his previous tenure with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was a period spent in the wrong political family.
Speaking on Friday during a high-profile national assignment, the Senate President maintained that he has finally found his true political home within the ruling All Provinces Congress (APC), a party he describes as the rightful place for any progressive-minded leader in Nigeria.
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The setting for these candid political revelations was the official inauguration of access roads leading to the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates in the Karsana District of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The landmark event was organized as part of the activities marking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s third anniversary in office, drawing various top-tier government officials, political stakeholders, and media representatives to the capital city.
During the event, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had initially taken the stage and praised Akpabio, referring to him as an “uncommon performer” during his time as the executive governor of Akwa Ibom State under the umbrella of the PDP.
When it was his turn to speak, Akpabio humorously but firmly urged members of the APC National Working Committee present at the venue to disregard Wike’s specific reference to his past party alignment.
“Please ignore the comment of the honourable minister that I was an uncommon performer in PDP. He is not talking about PDP of today,” Akpabio remarked, drawing laughter from the gathered guests.
Going deeper into his political journey, the Senate President explained the timeline of his governance and the eventual birth of the current ruling party.
He noted that he had already served more than seven years as the governor of Akwa Ibom State before the All Progressives Congress was officially formed through a political merger in 2014.
According to him, the emergence of the APC provided the perfect alignment for his personal political philosophy, which he felt was stifled in his previous party.
Akpabio further expanded on his decision to switch sides, stating that a progressive-minded individual naturally belongs to a progressive family.
He noted that when the APC came into existence, he immediately recognized it as his rightful group, realizing retrospectively that he had been operating within the wrong political entity.
Consequently, he took an early exit from the PDP to align himself with the progressives, a move he believes has been validated by contemporary political events.
The Senate President did not stop at defending his political choices; he also launched a scathing critique against the current state of his former party.
He argued that the PDP has since become heavily fragmented, losing its structural unity and national appeal.
In a playful yet pointed nod to Wike’s unique standing in contemporary Nigerian politics, Akpabio recognized the FCT minister as the leader of the winning faction of the fractured opposition.
“Shortly after that, you now know what happened to PDP. They are fragmented. So, I don’t know how you are going to put it together, but I recognise you as a national leader, national leader of the winning faction of PDP because you are doing well,” Akpabio stated.
The camaraderie between the two leaders was on full display as Akpabio shared nostalgic anecdotes from their past political interactions.
He recalled a specific period during his tenure as Akwa Ibom governor when Wike visited the state to tour a massive underground drainage project.
During that visit, Wike had reportedly remarked that if he were ever given the opportunity to govern Rivers State, he would perform similar infrastructural miracles.
Akpabio testified that Wike kept that promise during his subsequent eight years as the governor of Rivers State.
He jokingly added that he had previously told Wike he supported his gubernatorial ambition to work, but not to completely surpass his own infrastructural legacy in Akwa Ibom.
The Senate President concluded that delivering high-quality public infrastructure has undeniably become an integral part of Wike’s political identity and DNA.
This recent exchange comes on the heels of another sharp critique leveled by Akpabio against the opposition.
Just two days prior, during the commissioning of Akinwumi Ajibola Street in Abuja, the Senate President expressed surprise that the PDP was still functioning as an entity and jokingly urged Minister Wike to oversee its final collapse.
As the Tinubu administration celebrates three years in power, these public alignments and political jests continue to shadow the evolving landscape of Nigerian party politics.
