From Fred Itua, Abuja and Joe Effiong, Uyo

Another Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senator, this time, from Akwa Ibom State, Nelson Effiong, has defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) .

In reaction to this, former governor of Akwa Ibom State and Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, has expressed regrets over this, blaming the crisis in the PDP.

Effiong, who represents Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District, announced his defection at yesterday’s plenary. He said the intractable crisis in the PDP necessitated his defection and added that, no politician worth his onions should remain in the PDP.

He praised APC for bringing stability to Nigeria as well as restoring peace to some troubled parts of the country.

“I have decided that no reasonable politician who is worth his onions would remain in PDP and allow his people to be drifting about without a direction.

“So, I have decided today, January 19, 2017, to resign from the PDP and move to the party that is bringing peace and direction to this country, the APC,” he said.

Quickly, Deputy Minority Leader, Emmanuel Bwacha, warned Effiong of the consequences of his action.

“I hope my colleague is aware of the implications of what he has just done. The PDP as a party is one and is intact.

“I fear for his seat and the consequences that may follow as a result of this action. I want to say that what he has said appears to be an insult to those of us who are in the PDP that ‘a politician that is worth he onions will not remain in PDP.’ We are going to meet in court,” said Bwacha.

Akpabio, who walked into the chamber about five minutes after Effiong’s defection, said the PDP in Akwa Ibom State will challenge his defection in court and reclaim the seat.

Akpabio thundered: “I understand, maybe, due to political intoxication or otherwise, the senator has  jumped ship and moved from this side to the other side. I need to let the Senate and the President know that in terms of the court decisions up to the Supreme Court, that it is not an individual who contests an election.

“It is a political party and, therefore, the moment somebody takes the mandate of a political party, it behooves on that political party to immediately take steps.

“We heard that this action was going to take place and we engaged the senator in various discussions and we showed him the implication.

“We must reclaim the mandate given to us and we do not mind the senator joining the APC, but, he will not go with the mandate given to us in Akwa Ibom State.

“The reason why I am standing is that, today, it is the PDP, tomorrow it might be APC.”

From Akwa Ibom, the state chapter of the PDP described Effiong’s move as shocking.

State Chairman, Obong Paul Ekpo, said yesterday that its legal department had been directed to commence the process of recovering the mandate.

The party’s chairman’s statement was signed by the state PDP publicity secretary, Mr Ini Ememobong.

stated, “The Peoples’ Democratic Party, Akwa Ibom State has received with mixed feelings the announcement of the defection of Senator Nelson Effiong, who was elected on the platform of our great party to represent the people of Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District.

“We however note that, his actions and statements are indicative of a drowning man, who in his speedy descent into an abyss, holds on to any straw within sight and seeks to take with him anything willing to follow.

“The People’s Democratic Party is not and cannot be a sinking party, even Nelson Effiong recognized so during the last enlarged stakeholders meeting of the party held in December 2016, where he spoke glowingly about the party.

“We urge our faithful, especially those from Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District, to remain calm and continue to support the party, knowing that we will do everything within the ambit of the law to reclaim the party’s mandate.

“As a party, we gave Nelson Effiong the power to speak for his people, but his character showed up and now the whole world can judge him.

“Senator Effiong, who had been in the eye of the storm recently for his below performance in and out of the senate, was alleged to have cited the division at the national level of PDP as his reason for leaving PDP to the All Progressives Congress Party (APC) saying that, ‘any politician worth his salt will not stay back in a party that is sinking like the PDP’ “ the statement said

The party however enjoined supporters to continue to hold fast to their strength and convictions to the party in the state.