*Laments his betrayal by APC
*Says APC leaders are corrupt, compromised
Loyalty is a fragile thing that when put to test, may falter, especially among politicians. Politicians seem to cooperate whenever the land is fertile, and they are quick to take to their heels when
the once green land changes into an unfavourable colour. This is why we say that there is no permanent enemy or friend in politics, but common interest.
In what seems to be an avenue to buttress his argument that he can’t be bought with money, John Udoedehe, a former Nigerian minister and 2015 Akwa Ibom APC governorship election has levelled more shocking allegations against the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio. The former minister alleged that Godswill Akpabio during his regime gave out money to politicians after meetings in and outside the state.
According to him, caucus members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, were given at least N3 million each as “transport” every night they met to discuss the party’s affairs. He also admitted to being given special sums that is over the N3m he regularly gave out to other politicians. “Godswill Akpabio used to give us at least N3million each as transport fare every night we attended caucus meetings in Government House. My own was special, it was more than N3million,” he confessed.
To distance himself from the alleged corrupt practices of Akpabio, Udoedehe stated that he still had a fall out with Akpabio notwithstanding the huge amounts of money he had collected from him. Speaking with Planet FM Uyo, he condemned the compromised nature of the APC leaders in Lagos and Abuja. He stressed that the leaders were compromised before the party (APC) produced former Akwa Ibom Secretary, Umana as the APC governorship candidate.
It would be recalled that the former Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State government, Obong Umana Okon Umana was deprived of his ambition to become governor of the state on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party. His move to the APC with his supporters uprooted Udoedehe from what was supposed to be familiar ground and showed that the senator was not the political Iroko that many thought he was.
Eventually Umana became Udoedehe’s nightmare with his arrival into the APC. It was gathered that Umana offered an option to many APC faithful who thought that Udoedehe was overbearing and arrogant and therefore lacked the popularity to win votes in favour of the APC. Udoedehe however claimed the election was rigged in favour of Umana. He also claimed that the APC also wanted to do same to Timipre Sylva of Bayelsa, but the good people of the state who supported Sylva stood
against the plot to uproot him.
According to him: “They succeeded because of the individuals we have in the party. They betrayed me because their interests were money and position. They abandoned me because I didn’t make them to swear to mbiam (fetish oath). I trusted them. I loved them. People said I should not put them there, but I put them there. At the time they were supposed to support me, they left me without any reason”
