Accusations of betrayal have rocked the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State, as some stakeholders allege that Senate President Godswill Akpabio, state party chairman Stephen Ntukekpo, and Minister of Petroleum (Gas) Ekperikpe Ekpo have secretly aligned with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to weaken the APC ahead of the 2027 elections.
In an open letter to President Bola Tinubu titled “The Worrisome State of the APC in Akwa Ibom State: A Call for Your Intervention,” party leaders Elder Okokon James, Peter Ibanga, and Chief Victor Affiah claimed the trio had deliberately sabotaged the APC in exchange for PDP’s backing of Akpabio’s third-term senatorial ambition.
They warned that if urgent action is not taken, the party will collapse in the state, leaving no support base for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign. “The soul of the APC in Akwa Ibom has been traded away,” they wrote. “With the party in ruins, how can members be mobilized for your second-term bid?”
The stakeholders accused Akpabio of betraying the party that propelled him to Senate leadership, cautioning that mass defections could soon follow if the situation remains unchecked.
In response, Akpabio’s media aide, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, dismissed the claims as false and baseless, insisting that the Senate President had actually strengthened the APC by securing key appointments for members.
