Protest In Akwa Ibom As APC Members Accuse PDP Defectors Of Power Grab
APC Members Protest Alleged Plot to Replace Party Structures
SOME aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Mkpat Enin local government area of Akwa Ibom State have staged a protest over what they described as an alleged clandestine attempt by party leaders to dissolve ward and chapter structures ahead of the party’s upcoming congresses, scheduled for 18 and 21 February.
The demonstrators, drawn from ward and chapter executives, stormed the council secretariat to express their grievances over purported plans to impose new lists of ward and chapter officers, effectively replacing the current leadership. They linked the alleged move to the recent defection of key figures from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) into the APC under the leadership of Governor Umo Eno.
Accusations of Hijack by PDP Defectors
Speaking at the protest, Comrade Silas accused the new entrants of attempting to “hijack” the party’s structures.
“We are the goose that laid the golden egg,” Silas declared. “We suffered, laboured, and built this party here, but barely six months after the PDP bigwigs defected into APC, they are now plotting to evict us from the same party we struggled to grow.”
He suggested that dissatisfied defectors should consider exchanging positions rather than forcibly taking over ward and chapter offices.
“If the PDP bigwigs who defected six months ago now feel that their positions as commissioners, special advisers, local government chairmen, House of Assembly members, councillors, supervisors, and ward personal assistants are not useful to them, they should relinquish those offices and come for the ward and chapter positions. Let us swap places so they can be comfortable,” he said.
Another protester, Mr. Ubong Inyang, warned that failure to check the alleged “ambush” of the party in Mkpat Enin could escalate into a major embarrassment during elections.
“These bigwigs are the problem. If this is not nipped in the bud, it will cause disaffection and crisis. We have worked tirelessly to raise this party. We cannot now be pushed aside with ignominy,” he said.
Claims of Neglect Despite Loyalty
The protesters lamented that despite their loyalty and sacrifices to the party, they had not benefited from appointments since the APC’s rise in the area.
“We have not benefited anything after our struggle and steadfastness. All the PAs, SAs to the Governor, appointments in the local government councils to commissioners came from the PDP. What is our own?” one of them queried.
They therefore called on Governor Eno to intervene urgently to halt what they described as a “power-drunk attempt to destabilise the party in Mkpat Enin.”
Reaffirmation of Loyalty
At the end of the protest, the group issued a communique reaffirming their loyalty to the APC leadership at both the state and national levels.
“We, the ward and chapter officers of the party in Mkpat Enin LGA, declare our total support for His Excellency, Pastor Umo Eno, and his development initiatives under the ARISE Agenda,” the statement read.
They pledged unalloyed support for President Bola Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and Governor Umo Eno for a second term, stressing that nothing should distract them from the party’s agenda.
The communique further advised that for peace to prevail, the existing party structures—from ward to chapter—should remain intact, while political appointees and elected officials should maintain the status quo. The protesters warned that any attempt to impose new executives could fracture the party and undermine its prospects in future elections.
