Former minority leader and Senator representing Akwa Ibom North West, Godswill Akpabio has advised the Senate President, Bukola Saraki to honourably resign rather than been forced out of office.
Addressing a press conference after Wednesday’s plenary in Abuja, he said, it was a norm the world over that when a lawmaker resigns from his former political party, he relinquishes his office to allow the majority party form their leadership.
He said, Mr Saraki should borrow a leaf from him as a former minority leader, saying he honourably resigned the position when he defected from PDP to APC to pave way for PDP to elect their minority leader.
“It’s a tradition all over the world that when you defected to another party even as a Senate President like Saraki did, to resign from the office of the Senate President.
“APC is still the majority party and they need to form a new leadership. The Senate President should honourably resign just like I did,” Mr Akpabio insisted.
Speaking further on his experiences as a member of the APC, he said, he was fulfilled being a member of a ruling party, adding that he defected to the APC in national interest.
He further explained that his advice and suggestions must not be looked at with suspicion being a part of the ruling party now.
He came hard on his former party, PDP for doing nothing in the South-South in the last 16 years, adding that PDP government did not construct a kilometre of road for those years.
“Having moved from PDP to APC, I felt fulfilled. My advice and suggestions in the national interest would not be looked upon with suspicion by the government in power again.
“I moved to APC in national interest. I don’t believe in bringing government into being and will not support that government to succeed.
“In the last 16 years, I did not see 1 kilometre of road done by PDP government in Akwa Ibom state, but today, APC government is constructing the road from Akwa Ibom to Calabar.
“The road has been a death trap and I must thank this government for that.
“From the national and local perspectives, people look at me as a leader and I must tell you that in 2019, it would be difficult for any other party to penetrate the South-South.”
